Vitamin D Levels too high?

Has your doctor said your vitamin D level is too high? Did it leave you feeling worried?

I recently had a great conversation about Vitamin D levels. A woman showed me her printed lab results from a recent check-up. Her Vitamin D level was 71 ng/ml.

For reference, at ImmuneStrong Families, we advocate for the well-documented and strongly supported idea that the optimal Vitamin D level is a range of 40 to 60 ng/mL.

She said with a sense of alarm in her voice: "My doctor said that I'm too high"! I tried to countermatch her sense of alarm with a look of excitement and happiness. I responded: "This is awesome," and gave her a high five.

Is your Vitamin D too high? Dr. Brandan Lee | ImmuneStrong Families

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If you've made it this far in this article, you may sense that there is some controversy surrounding Vitamin D levels, so let's get the FDA disclaimer in here:

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Now for the real question: Should this woman be worried about her Vitamin D level? Here are several essential points/concepts to consider:

1. Many physicians lack education on nutrition and have not conducted additional research or training on Vitamin D. They are simply comparing the test results to a standard established 40 years ago.

2. According to the National Institutes of Health, the level at which Vitamin D levels may begin to be toxic is 150 ng/ml. A level of 71 ng/ml is less than half of that.

3. Many functional medicine doctors working with autoimmune patients help their patients safely and effectively achieve Vitamin D levels of 100 ng/mL.

4. Vitamin D test results are always a source of feedback for yourself. In this example, a level of 71 ng/ml indicates that her "Vitamin D Strategy" is working. Her combination of lifestyle factors, including a healthy diet, regular sun exposure, and supplementation, is working to raise her Vitamin D levels.

5. A level of 71 ng/ml is not a reason to panic. If this individual wants to reduce her blood level to the optimal range, she now knows how to make a small adjustment in her Vitamin D Strategy to achieve the desired result.

6. The national average for Vitamin D levels is 26 ng/ml. This is a tragedy because the benefits to the immune system appear to be associated with having a Vitamin D level in the optimal range. I would rather have a nation of citizens with a Vitamin D level of 71 ng/ml than 26 ng/ml.

7. This highlights the importance of Vitamin D testing. We wouldn't be able to discuss this if she didn't know her level to begin with!

   
   

In closing, we always recommend using common sense and consulting with a doctor who is up-to-date on optimal Vitamin D levels. I believe the woman who shared this Vitamin D level of 71 ng/ml with me is doing great and should be proud of her test result.