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Should you take supplements (vitamins and minerals) such as Vitamin D while on the Ketogenic (Keto) Diet and if so which ones? I combine Keto and Intermittent Fasting which is a great combo for fat burning, so supplementation is a must for me.

What are Micro Nutrients

You hear a lot about “macro”nutrients while on Keto, but it is important to understand “micro”nutrients also.

Some things to note about micronutrients:

• Needed in smaller amounts = MICROnutrients
• Can't be produced by the body so you must get these from food
• Enable your body to produce enzymes, hormones and other substances needed for proper growth and development

Following a healthy Keto Diet gives you more nutrients you need than the standard diet most people follow, but you should still supplement your food for various reasons. Notice the word supplement does not mean “replace”.  Your food should give you the majority of your vitamins and minerals and supplements simply enhance or add to it.

The word supplement is defined as “something that completes or enhances something else when added to it”

The problem we run into today is our soil has been depleted from so much turn over, repetitive crops, fertilizer and pesticides. Add to that, all the genetically modified food out there and it just doesn't  add up to the same nutritional value our grandparents or even parents had.

Possible side affects you can experience without proper micronutrients:

• Keto flu, rash or fatigue
• Hair loss
• Kidney stones
• Bad breath

Difference in Vitamins and Minerals Supplements for Keto

There is a difference between minerals and vitamins.

Vitamins:

• Organic compounds
• Made by plants and animals
• Broken down by heat, air or acid\

Minerals:

• Inorganic compounds
• Come from soil and water

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Two Types of Vitamins – Fat Soluble or Water Soluble

Fat soluble

• Vitamins A, D, E and K
• Travel on fat globules through the small intestines into the blood
• Stored in liver and fat tissues

Water soluble

• B and C
• Dissolve in water
• Dissolve quickly in the body
• Carried to your tissues, but the body cannot store them
• Vitamin A in its Beta-carotene form is also water soluble

I will do a series of Vitamins and minerals you need while on Keto, but I am going to start with my favorite and the one I think is most important for anyone on Keto or not – Vitamin D.

Ironically – despite the name, vitamin D is considered a pro-hormone and not actually a vitamin

Why Vitamin D? (Benefits)

Vitamin D does so many things for us, but below are a few of the heavy hitters:

• Maintain the health of bones and teeth
• Boost the health of the immune system
• Cognitive (brain) health
• Regulate nervous system
• Regulate insulin levels and aid diabetes management
• Support lung function
• Improve heart health
• Influence the expression of genes involved in cancer development

Vitamin D Deficiency

Vitamin D deficiency is growing rapidly, mainly because we spend more time indoors and the scare of skin cancer has promoted SPF use whenever we do go outside.

According to a 2011 study, 41.6% of adults in the US are deficient. This number goes up to 69.2% in Hispanics and 82.1% in African-Americans. I am going to guess it is even higher now. Wikipedia points out that deficiency can be measured differently dependent upon the levels suggested.  They show up to 77% of us in the world are deficient in Vitamin D.

Infants who are exclusively breast-fed need a vitamin D supplement, especially if they are dark-skinned or have minimal sun exposure.

Medical News Today points out symptoms of vitamin D deficiency may include:

• Getting sick or infected more often
• Fatigue
• Painful bones and back
• Depressed mood
• Impaired wound healing
• Hair loss
• Muscle pain

If Vitamin D deficiency continues for long periods of time it can result in:

• obesity
• diabetes
• hypertension
• depression
• fibromyalgia
• chronic fatigue syndrome
• osteoporosis
• neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease

Vitamin D and Cancer

There has been extensive research on the effects of Vitamin D and cancer, including colon, prostrate and breast.

The biggest fan of Vitamin D and cancer I found was Carole Baggerly, Founder and Director of GrassRootsHealth.

Carol had breast cancer and stopped treatments due to the horrible side effects and started using large doses of Vitamin D. Due to her success, she started research and working with others to prove what had happened with her.

She was able to prove that with significant amounts of Vitamin D in the blood, breast cancer risk could be reduced by 80%!  That's a number I can get behind. You can visit the site GrassRootsHealth.com for more information about the studies.

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Best Source of Vitamin D

The very best source of Vitamin D? The sun. I remember learning (many years ago – ha) in Girl Scouts that Vitamin D was the “sunshine vitamin”. Anytime you can produce vitamins the natural way, it is best.

The amount of time to stay outside also varies by person, but for most 20 minutes a day without SPF is optimal.  I always wear SPF on my face and/or wear a hat because the face is more exposed and is generally more sensitive than other parts of the body. (hello wrinkles!)

My pediatrician when I was young (again, many years ago!) advised my mom to take me outside, at least on the porch every day for 15 minutes minimum even when I was sick.  He felt the sun exposure was that important, and unfortunately, today we have gotten away from that.

Wearing SPF after being out for 20 – 30 minutes is important to protect your skin, just make sure you are not slathering a bunch of chemicals on your body. Also, I suggest cream or lotion instead of sprays. The sprays contact harmful chemicals you don't want on your or your family's skin.

One “clean' sunscreen I trust is Sun Bum which is Non-comedogenic, Oxbenzone & Octinoxate Free, Paraben Free, Cruelty Free, Gluten Free, PABA free & Oil Free.

Young Living also has a sunscreen that I haven't used it, but plan on it when I run out of my Sun Bum.  It is called Mineral Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 and it is:

• Reef Safe
• Dermatologist tested
• Recommended as an effective broad-spectrum sunscreen
• Non-greasy
• Fast absorbing formula
• Made with non-nano zinc oxide

Since most of us work inside and our kids stay in on video games or phones all day, we need to find other ways to increase our intake of Vitamin D with food and supplements.

Foods with Vitamin D

There are not many foods in the typical diet that contain large amounts of Vitamin D, but fatty fish or cod liver oil are the best sources. Here is a list of foods from largest amount to smallest:

• Cod liver oil
• Wild fish – Salmon, Herring, Swordfish (try to eat salmon at least 1-2 times/week)
• Raw Maitake mushrooms, 1 cup: 786 IU
• Sardines
• Wild caught canned tuna
• Eggs

Since food choices are  limited, most of us should take a Vitamin D supplement

How Much Vitamin D Should You Take?

The amount varies for each person.  Most people are surprised to find out they need at least 5,000 / day.  I currently take 2,000 IU / day, but increase to 5,000 during cold and flu season.  I also try to go outside several times during the week.

?? Read more about preventing colds and the flu here. 

Since Vitamin D is fat soluble, always take with your fattest meal

Use this calculator to see how much Vitamin D you need. You can also ask your doctor to measure the Vitamin D serum level in your blood.  GrassRootsHealth suggest you have at least a measurement of 40 ML, my naturopath likes me to have 50.

GrassRootsHealth suggests a breastfeeding mother take in 6400 IUs a day to get Vitamin D to their baby.

Mom’s with 40 ML serum counts of Vitamin D saw:

•   50% reduction in preterm births
•   40% reduction in children diabetes
•   Studies showed children with no asthma

The amount of Vitamin D recommended by the FDA is enough to protect you from rickets, which luckily we haven't had to worry about in some time. Most health experts, especially naturopath, suggest way more than the recommended amounts.

Types of Vitamin D Supplements

There are 2 different types of Vitamin D – D2 and D3.

• D3 – is the same type your body makes – always buy this kind of supplement
• D2 – artificially made – doesn’t stay in body as long – skip this kind

Anytime you take a supplement, they should be high quality, nonGMO and from a trusted source.

I was taking Dr Best's Vitamin D but once I found out Young Living (YL) has supplements, I switched over. I knew I trusted their oils and cleaners, but after researching their supplements, I am hooked on those too!

They have a product called OmegaGize that combines 950 IUs of Vitamin D with omega fatty acids.  I love the idea of combining the Vitamin D with the omega fatty acids since the D is fat soluble.  This helps it be absorbed and used by the body better. It also contains CoQ10, which is essential for your heart health.  I take this now instead of taking 3 different pills to get them all in and it is less expensive.

I love when I can combine supplements into 1 pill

it is more convenient to remember AND I'm not buying 3 different pills

If you are interested in ordering from Young Living, here is my referral link.  I am happy to answer any questions. You can order retail or do like I did and sign up to be a member and get 24% off and earn free stuff along the way.  I had been buying for several months at retail price and thought – why am I doing this when i can get it for wholesale and get freebies.

I could go on and on about Young Living and how great their quality is, but I'll save that for another day.  But if you have any questions, just email me – jamie@healthwithjamie.com.

I hope this article encourages you to make sure you are getting enough Vitamin D in your life.  Going outside, eating the right foods and supplementing all work together to ensure you are getting optimal levels.

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To your health,

Jamie

Remember, I am a health coach, not a licensed medical professional and the advice on this page is from my personal experience, health coach certification training or from the experience of friends or clients. You should talk with your medical professional when seeking advice about a medical condition.