Thanks to Dr Rhonda Patrick, Vitamin D (in large doses) is now a common supplement in BJJ and MMA circles.

Vitamin D Benefits

Vitamin D does have many benefits, particularly if you don’t get daily sun exposure. I put vitamin D drops in my daughter’s drink in the morning to prevent rickets. Vitamin D is used in the metabolism of calcium and phosphorus in the body and is essential for bone growth and formation.

Many people in the UK will be low in terms of their body’s levels of vitamin D, especially if they work indoors. Too little vitamin D can cause depression, hair loss, softening of bones, muscle pain and general fatigue.

Vitamin D Side Effects

Vitamin D & Kidney Stones

It’s thought that large doses of vitamin D (>1,500 IUs) can increase the risk of kidney stones. High vitamin D levels can increase the amount of calcium in the blood which in turn can increase the risk of kidney stones.

Reducing animal protein intake and adding lemon juice and/or cherry juice to the diet can help to offset the increased risk of kidney stones (and gout). You should also consider cycling vitamin D supplementation so that you have a break during the summer.

More information on vitamin D and kidney stones here.

Vitamin D & Vitamin K2

The good news is that combining vitamin D with foods high in vitamin K can enhance the benefits greatly. Foods containing vitamin K2 include organic dairy and fermented vegetables. Basically, any food with ‘live cultures’ of healthy bacteria should contain vitamin K2 – another reason to breastfeed your baby for as long as possible.

Vitamin D also impacts the absorption of vitamin K2. It is not clear to what extent and whether or not this is harmful, however – most top nutritionists recommend getting plenty of vitamin K2 in your diet if you are supplementing with vitamin D.

More info here.