Vitamin D is one of the best-documented actors in immune support – an “old-school” nutrient, if you will. * However, its popularity skyrocketed over the past year after cross-sectional studies found vitamin D deficiency to play a role Vitamin D deficiency was higher in COVID patients than control groups. As such, vitamin D has finally found the recognition it deserves – although, according to Ferira, it’s important to really digest what you read online.

“We are all deficient in vitamin D,” says Ferira. She says 92.5% of Americans don’t even get 400 IU of vitamin D per day from their diet, while “we actually need at least 2,000 to 3,000 IU daily,” so do the math. A huge loophole – and yet most health media offer it one solution: eat foods rich in vitamin D.

“This is a big myth that I would like to resolve,” notes Ferira. (She goes on to explain her reasoning in case you’re curious). “Telling someone to get their vitamin D needs through food is like giving you a quart of paint to repaint your entire house.”

Vitamin D occurs naturally in small amounts in a handful of foods – which are helpful in preventing extreme vitamin D deficiency and related ailments such as rickets or osteomalacia. For example, 1 cup of milk contains 100 IU of vitamin D. But when it comes to increasing and maintaining healthy vitamin D status for a lifetime, these modest intake levels alone are not enough. *

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