Why It Matters More Than You Think
Vitamin D isn’t just another supplement – it’s a cornerstone for your entire body’s function. Known as the “sunshine vitamin,” we can produce it naturally from sunlight during the lighter months. But as the autumn and winter roll in, most of us simply don’t get enough and that’s when problems often start creeping in.
Why Vitamin D Is Truly Essential
Vitamin D plays a vital role in how your body works every day. Most people know it’s essential for strong bones, helping your body absorb calcium to keep your spine, joint and skeleton healthy. But what’s often overlooked is that Vitamin D also supports your immune system, keeps your muscles working smoothly, stabilises mood and even contributes to brain health.
When levels are low, your body can start showing subtle but significant changes. You might feel more fatigued than usual, even after a good night’s sleep. Your muscles might ache or cramp more often. Your joints could feel stiffer and your mood may dip. Over time, this deficiency can contribute to more serious issues, from poor healing and chronic inflammation to a greater risk of conditions like osteoporosis, diabetes and even heart disease.
Who’s Most at Risk?
While anyone can experience low Vitamin D, it is particularly important to have healthy levels of vitamin D for those going through perimenopause or menopause. Falling oestrogen levels make bones more fragile, moods more volatile and sleep harder to come by. A Vitamin D deficiency can make all of this worse.
It’s also common in those with chronic inflammatory or autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, IBS, or asthma. In these cases, Vitamin D helps regulate immune activity, so being deficient can fuel ongoing inflammation. This doesn’t just apply to older adults – we regularly see younger patients with early deficiencies, often linked to previous injuries, long-term stress, or diets lacking in key nutrients.
The Role of Healthy Fats (and How Statins Can Interfere)
One of the most important – but least discussed – aspects of Vitamin D is how it’s absorbed. Being fat-soluble, it needs healthy fats, especially omega‑3 fatty acids, to be properly taken up by your body. If your diet is too low in these fats or you’re avoiding them completely, your Vitamin D levels may stay low no matter how much you try to increase them.
This becomes even more relevant if you’re on statins, which are commonly prescribed to lower cholesterol. Statins can interfere with omega‑3 uptake and metabolism, indirectly making it harder for your body to absorb and use Vitamin D effectively. In these cases, boosting omega‑3 intake or using the right supplements becomes particularly important.
Why It Matters for Your Chiropractic Care
Here’s where it connects directly to your care in our clinic. If your Vitamin D levels are low, your body can struggle to heal effectively. Bones, joints, and muscles may not recover as well after injury, and posture can be harder to maintain. For chiropractic patients, this also means that spinal adjustments may not “hold” as effectively, as the body simply doesn’t have the nutritional support it needs to function at its best.
In short: addressing Vitamin D isn’t just about avoiding the winter blues – it’s about creating the right environment for your body to heal, adapt, and get the most out of your care.
How to Improve Your Levels
From April to September, spending time outdoors with some skin exposed to sunlight can help your body naturally produce Vitamin D. But for most of us in the UK, that’s not enough during autumn and winter. That’s where diet and supplements become essential.
Include foods like oily fish (salmon, mackerel), egg yolks, liver and red meat in your diet. And if you’re not getting enough through food or sunlight, supplements can be a reliable way to keep your levels up. As a general guide, many experts suggest around 1,000 IU for every 25 lbs of body weight, though individual needs may vary – so check in with your chiropractor if you need any further guidance.
The bottom line: Vitamin D isn’t just about healthy bones – it’s about supporting energy, mood, immunity, healing and overall wellbeing. For many people, correcting a deficiency can be the missing piece in improving how they feel day-to-day and how well their body responds to care.
If you know someone who could benefit from this blog post, please share it with them. We offer a complimentary spine check to anyone who is interested in how chiropractic may be able to help them.
