Spray this super vitamin in your mouth.
By contributor Kari Molvar.
After years of putting off my annual physical — it’s never fun to sit nearly naked on a cold, hard table and be prodded, right? — I finally had a full check-up, bloodwork included. The results were mostly normal, except for the fact that I was borderline vitamin D deficient.
Huh?
I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised: A whopping 41.6% of adults in this country are estimated to be vitamin-D-deprived and not getting their recommended minimum 600 International Units per day. My doctor gently (but firmly) told me I really should up my intake. Beyond helping the body absorb calcium for an overall stronger body, this essential nutrient also plays a key role in immune function (and anything that helps immunity is a very good thing right now), reducing inflammation (crucial for staying young) and metabolism. There’s also evidence that vitamin D can help regulate your mood, ward off depression and prevent fatigue.
After hearing all that, I leaned into vitamin D — real quick. Here’s how I get my daily dose now, which might inspire your own journey, too. The good news: I’m no longer deficient and I’ve never felt healthier and more energized, inside and out.
Don’t Rely on the Sun, Trust Me
The most common source of vitamin D is the sun, which is in plentiful supply right now. “Our bodies synthesize vitamin D from the UV light of the sun — specifically UVB rays — when we are exposed to sunlight on a daily basis,” says Australian-born Sarah Dolder, M.D., a clinical instructor of dermatology at Columbia University and the founder of Greenwich Point Dermatology. “Research suggests that five to 30 minutes of sunlight exposure on your face, hands, arms and legs without sunscreen between 10am to 4pm, at least three times a week, leads to adequate vitamin D levels.” Yet, Dr. Dolder is staunchly against sunbathing. “I do not recommend any form of sun exposure as a means of obtaining your daily vitamin D dose!” she says. The risk for sunburn, cancer and just plain damaging your skin far outweigh the benefits.
Instead, I’m keeping my sunscreen on — and here’s why you should, too: SPF 30 filters out 97% of UVB, and SPF 50 filters out 98%. “So even with the most diligent application of the higher SPF sunscreens, you are still being exposed to two to three percent of solar UVB, which will lead to vitamin D synthesis,” says Dr. Dolder. Personally, I plan on covering up with this tinted mineral cream and this on-the-go stick option.
Ingest Your Vitamin D
The best, research-backed way to get your D, says Dr. Dolder, is either by eating it — from foods like fatty fish (especially salmon 0, dairy or soy milk, and mushrooms — or with a supplement. Except for my obsession with fermented yogurt, my diet is not always reliably robust in vitamin D sources, so I opted to go the supplement route. Interestingly, it’s important to pay attention to what type of vitamin D you’re getting in your supplement, since there are two forms of it. Both vitamin D-2 and vitamin D-3 are beneficial, but studies show that D-3 might be better absorbed, making it the slightly superior option.
Spray It — Under Your Tongue
Lately my supplement of choice is The Nue Vitamin D Spray — yes, a spray! It’s meant to be taken sublingually, or under the tongue, which gives it a 2.6 higher absorption rate than capsules. Three sprays of this elixir deliver 3,000 IU of vitamin D-3, but you can spray less if you prefer. As for when to take it? “Since vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, the presence of fat in the gut enhances absorption, so taking your supplement with or after dinner is ideal,” recommends Dr. Dolder.
If you’re worried about the flavor, don’t be. Unlike a lot of vitamin-rich tinctures, this one doesn’t taste funky or metallic or leave a strange after-taste in your mouth. Just remember to store the bottle in a cool, dry place so the sunlight doesn’t break down the potency.
Maintain Your Efforts
Once you’ve upped your intake, you want to keep it that way. My advice: Get your D levels regularly checked so you know that you’re staying in a healthy zone — which is another good reason not to skip that annual check-up.
After years of putting off my annual physical — it’s never fun to sit nearly naked on a cold, hard table and be prodded, right? — I finally had a full check-up, bloodwork included. The results were mostly normal, except for the fact that I was borderline vitamin D deficient.
Huh?
I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised: A whopping 41.6% of adults in this country are estimated to be vitamin-D-deprived and not getting their recommended minimum 600 International Units per day. My doctor gently (but firmly) told me I really should up my intake. Beyond helping the body absorb calcium for an overall stronger body, this essential nutrient also plays a key role in immune function (and anything that helps immunity is a very good thing right now), reducing inflammation (crucial for staying young) and metabolism. There’s also evidence that vitamin D can help regulate your mood, ward off depression and prevent fatigue.
After hearing all that, I leaned into vitamin D — real quick. Here’s how I get my daily dose now, which might inspire your own journey, too. The good news: I’m no longer deficient and I’ve never felt healthier and more energized, inside and out.
Don’t Rely on the Sun, Trust Me
The most common source of vitamin D is the sun, which is in plentiful supply right now. “Our bodies synthesize vitamin D from the UV light of the sun — specifically UVB rays — when we are exposed to sunlight on a daily basis,” says Australian-born Sarah Dolder, M.D., a clinical instructor of dermatology at Columbia University and the founder of Greenwich Point Dermatology. “Research suggests that five to 30 minutes of sunlight exposure on your face, hands, arms and legs without sunscreen between 10am to 4pm, at least three times a week, leads to adequate vitamin D levels.” Yet, Dr. Dolder is staunchly against sunbathing. “I do not recommend any form of sun exposure as a means of obtaining your daily vitamin D dose!” she says. The risk for sunburn, cancer and just plain damaging your skin far outweigh the benefits.
Instead, I’m keeping my sunscreen on — and here’s why you should, too: SPF 30 filters out 97% of UVB, and SPF 50 filters out 98%. “So even with the most diligent application of the higher SPF sunscreens, you are still being exposed to two to three percent of solar UVB, which will lead to vitamin D synthesis,” says Dr. Dolder. Personally, I plan on covering up with this tinted mineral cream and this on-the-go stick option.
Ingest Your Vitamin D
The best, research-backed way to get your D, says Dr. Dolder, is either by eating it — from foods like fatty fish (especially salmon 0, dairy or soy milk, and mushrooms — or with a supplement. Except for my obsession with fermented yogurt, my diet is not always reliably robust in vitamin D sources, so I opted to go the supplement route. Interestingly, it’s important to pay attention to what type of vitamin D you’re getting in your supplement, since there are two forms of it. Both vitamin D-2 and vitamin D-3 are beneficial, but studies show that D-3 might be better absorbed, making it the slightly superior option.
Spray It — Under Your Tongue
Lately my supplement of choice is The Nue Vitamin D Spray — yes, a spray! It’s meant to be taken sublingually, or under the tongue, which gives it a 2.6 higher absorption rate than capsules. Three sprays of this elixir deliver 3,000 IU of vitamin D-3, but you can spray less if you prefer. As for when to take it? “Since vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, the presence of fat in the gut enhances absorption, so taking your supplement with or after dinner is ideal,” recommends Dr. Dolder.
If you’re worried about the flavor, don’t be. Unlike a lot of vitamin-rich tinctures, this one doesn’t taste funky or metallic or leave a strange after-taste in your mouth. Just remember to store the bottle in a cool, dry place so the sunlight doesn’t break down the potency.
Maintain Your Efforts
Once you’ve upped your intake, you want to keep it that way. My advice: Get your D levels regularly checked so you know that you’re staying in a healthy zone — which is another good reason not to skip that annual check-up.
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