A Note from Miguel: The Sunshine Vitamin We Can't Ignore

I told myself I’d write about Vitamin D when the days got shorter, and here we are.

Less sunlight. Colder mornings. More time indoors. Sound familiar?

If you know me, you know how I feel about sunshine and the darker days. (Let’s just say… we’re not best friends.) So, let’s talk Vitamin D.

Why does it even matter?

Vitamin D deficiency affects nearly 42% of adults in the U.S., and that number climbs even higher for those of us living up north (hello, Connecticut).

Vitamin D is less of a vitamin and more of a hormone. Once activated, it acts like a signaling molecule and influences over 200 genes. It plays a key role in bone strength, immune resilience, mental health, and metabolism.

It helps regulate calcium, supports our bones and muscles, boosts immune cell activity, lowers inflammation, stabilizes mood, while improving insulin sensitivity and blood sugar balance. It even supports neurotransmitter production and has been linked to lower risks of dementia and depression.

How do you know if you’re low?

Some of the signs are easy to miss or brush off as “just life” - like always feeling tired, catching colds more often, achy muscles, low mood or brain fog, hair thinning, or wounds that seem to take forever to heal.

Sound familiar? It’s worth testing your levels.

Let’s talk numbers.

I use the 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] test to measure levels.

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Less than 20 ng/mL is considered deficient.
Between 20–30 is insufficient.
30–50 is sufficient.
The sweet spot for most people is between 40–60.
Above 80? That’s considered high, and something we’d monitor closely.

If you’re below optimal, we’ll talk about supplementation - because food and sunshine alone usually don’t cut it.

Who should get tested?

Honestly - everyone.

But especially if you have symptoms, get little sun, have darker skin, are over 65, carry extra weight, have gut absorption issues, or take medications like corticosteroids or anticonvulsants.

I recommend testing at least once a year - more often if we're working on a deficiency.

What you might consider in late October or early November:

-Get some midday sunlight when you can, even just 10–30 minutes a few times a week. Don’t overdo it - just enough to help your body activate Vitamin D without burning.

-Focus on adding foods like fatty fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel), egg yolks, and fortified plant milks or dairy to your meals.

-And if needed, supplement based on your labs and lifestyle.

If it’s been a while since your last lab draw, or if you’ve been feeling off and wondering why, this might be a very simple place to start.

Ask your PCP to add a Vitamin D level to your next labs, or reach out as I’m getting ready to open up my schedule for initial consultations!

Since I called my first round of patients “pre-launch” patients, I guess the next group will be my “launch” or “grand opening.” Still brainstorming that - more to come.

Stay warm out there!