Dr. Oz: Vitamin D Good for Blood Pressure, Chronic Pain & Depression

Dr. Oz: Importance of Vitamin D

Dr. Oz said the number one thing that all of us should be getting more of is vitamin D. Vitamin D can prevent weight gain, dementia, diabetes, cancer, depression, memory loss, and heart disease. But three out of four Americans aren’t getting enough of it.

The best source of vitamin D is the sun. A lot of people work longer hours indoors and aren’t outside very much. North of Atlanta in the U.S., the sun isn’t strong enough to provide Vitamin D for half of the year. People also might not be getting enough because they’re older and need more or because they’re not eating the right foods.

Dr. Oz: How To Know If You Need More Vitamin D

• Do you spend more than eight hours a day indoors?
• Are you overweight with a BMI higher than 30?
• Do you feel like you’re moody a lot?
• Do you have trouble concentrating?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, you probably need more vitamin D.

Dr. Oz: Vitamin D Good for Blood Pressure, Chronic Pain & Depression

Dr. Oz talked to Christine, Deb, and Rita, who all had low vitamin D levels and dealt with them. Christine said she used to be depressed and moody, but after testing her vitamin D levels, she learned she was low. Deb had high blood pressure and realized that vitamin D can lower her blood pressure. She took vitamin D and it’s much lower now. Rita had lots of severe pain and was surprised when vitamin D cured her chronic pain.

Dr. Oz: How to Get Enough Vitamin D

Dr. Oz recommends getting your vitamin D from a supplement. He said a lot of people aren’t outdoors enough or aren’t eating enough of vitamin D-rich foods. Supplements help people get the right numbers.

So how much do we need? Dr. Oz said that he thinks vitamin D is the most important vitamin we can take. He’s always said we should take 1,000 units of vitamin D, but when he took that much every day, it turned out his levels weren’t high enough. So now he takes 2,000 units. Christine takes 2,000 units, but Deb takes 1,000 units because she eats a lot of salmon.

Dr. Oz said people should take 1,000 units of vitamin D at first, and if after a few months they don’t feel better, then they should start taking 2,000 units.

He also said while a level of 30 is acceptable for vitamin D, the optimal level is something more like the 40s or 50s. He also recommended people take their vitamin D with the biggest meal of the day. If that’s breakfast for you, take in the morning. But if it’s dinner, then take it then.