Vitamin d has been associated with low immune and hormone function; it’s quite critical to a healthy body. But, if you’ve been taking D for some time yet your numbers never seem to improve, there could be a reason.
Of course, there could actually be a couple things at play. Like you may not be taking enough to actually replete your deficiency. Or your body could struggle actually absorbing nutrients (from a low stomach acid issue or from an enhanced intestinal permeability).
But today, were talking about the connection with magnesium. Magnesium is involved in over 300 metabolic functions in the body. Vitamin D requires magnesium in order to convert to it’s final, usable form. If your magnesium is deficient it can shut down the vitamin D synthesis, rendering your supplement ineffective.
You even might feel the effects of taking high doses of Vitamin D with low magnesium, it will actually show up as a magnesium deficient symptoms like headaches, muscle cramps or spasms, acid reflux, anxiety or even trouble sleeping.
If you’re struggling with vitamin D, could be time to check your magnesium. Be sure to ask for RBC magnesium- this tells a better story of your magnesium over the past few months rather than a serum magnesium which could be affected by what you ate last night.
I’m also a fan of getting a little sun exposure (early or late in the day, not mid day) and increasing your D supplement slowly rather than jumping in at a super high amount all at once.
1