4 Reasons Why Men Need Vitamin D3
Jun 09, 2020
Vitamin D isn’t actually a vitamin…
It’s a steroid hormone, mistakenly named a vitamin — and it’s responsible for more than 1,000 functions in the human body, some of them being the most important functions for men.
In this article, I’m going to reveal 4 reasons why you need more vitamin D3 in your diet, why vitamin D3 at the local drug store isn’t your best bet if you want results and how to get your hands on the best quality vitamin D3 there is.
But before I get there, here are 4 reasons why men need vitamin D3:
Increases Testosterone
Like I mentioned before, this hormone D, regulates more than 1,000 bodily functions, including everything you need to be successful as a man — like fertility, growth, hormone secretion, and sexual function. But the problem is most guys aren’t getting the optimal amount of vitamin D in their diet, leaving these 1,000+ bodily functions somewhat impaired, especially testosterone. (Which is why it’s so important to grab a solid vitamin D supplement if you want optimal T levels). Here’s the connection between vitamin D and testosterone:- A study published in the Oxford journal, Clinical Endocrinology, found that men with optimal vitamin D levels had significantly higher testosterone levels and lower SHBG count, than men who had insufficient amounts of the vitamin in their blood serum. SHBG is a protein created in the liver that attaches to testosterone and basically makes it useless in the body. So the less SHBG you have, the more testosterone you have.
- A study from the journal, Hormone and Metabolic Research found when healthy males supplement with vitamin D daily for a year, they had more than 25% higher testosterone levels than the placebo group.
- A study from University Hospital Zurich, found older men who supplement with vitamin D are more likely to have healthy testosterone levels as they age, which supports bone health and decreases risk of falling.
- A 1939 study from Dr. Abraham Myerson found getting vitamin D from sun exposure can have a huge benefit for your testosterone levels. The study showed that just 5 days of UV light exposure to the men’s chest area increased testosterone levels by a whopping 120%. When their balls were exposed to it, there was a 200% increase.
Strengthens Immune System
On top of its huge testosterone-boosting benefits, vitamin D can also help improve immune system health, which is important for protecting your body against viruses, including novel viruses like COVID-19. Here’s what the research says about vitamin D and your immune system:- A study published in the Central European Journal of Immunology found vitamin D plays a critical role in promoting immune health. It has both anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory properties that activate the immune defense system and keep it functioning optimally.
- Another study published in the journal, Immunology shows vitamin D increases T-cells. T-Cells keep your immune system on “high alert” to promote a quick immune response to foreign pathogens like invading viruses.
- A review from the Journal of Investigative Medicine found vitamin D is so important for immune function that if your vitamin D levels aren’t optimal (they likely aren’t) then you have an increased susceptibility to infection, disease, and immune related disorders.
- Vitamin D deficiency has been linked in studies to lung infections. If you’ve been following the evolving information about COVID-19, then you know having any kind of lung or immune issue can potentially increase your risk of being affected by the virus.
Helps Shed Body Fat
On top of improving testosterone and immune health, vitamin D has been shown in studies to be closely tied to lower levels of body fat. In other words, the healthier your vitamin D levels are, the easier time you’ll have shedding stubborn body fat.- One study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism tested the effects of vitamin D levels in non-obese vs. obese subjects and found those with lower levels of vitamin D had higher levels of body fat. As a result, the doctors concluded that vitamin D supplementation can help reduce body fat.
- Another study published in the journal, Nutrients, found there are certain enzymes that are needed to convert vitamin D into its most bioactive form (so the body can utilize it). The researchers discovered one of the differences between obese and non-obese individuals is the amount of these enzyme available to get the most active form of vitamin D in the body.
- One study from the University of Washington looked at 218 overweight and obese subjects during a one-year period. All were put on a calorie-restricted diet and exercise routine. Half of the subjects received a vitamin D supplement. The other half received a placebo. At the end of the study, researchers found those taking the vitamin D supplement experienced more weight loss, losing an average of 7 pounds (3.2 kg) more than those who didn’t.
- A rat study from Tufts University discovered vitamin D may potentially reduce the formation of new fat cells. And another study published in the journal, Nutrients, found vitamin D can also suppress overall fat storage.
- One of the reasons vitamin D supplementation can lead to easier and faster fat loss is because this hormone boosts testosterone, serotonin and improves sleep at night — all of which contribute to fat loss. (study, study)
Improves Mental Health
One of the best ways to support healthy serum vitamin D levels is to spend time in the sun. Sunlight contains vitamin D, so when you’re soaking in the sunshine, you’re literally absorbing vitamin D into your body. The vitamin D you absorb into your body then boosts dopamine and serotonin production in the brain, which supports a generally happy mood. However, during darker times of the year, less sunlight exposure causes a drop in vitamin D levels, which can lead to depression and mood disorders. In fact, the connection is so linear, that when people visit the doctor because of depressive symptoms, a new medical protocol is to check vitamin D levels to see if low vitamin D is the cause of depression. Here are some studies that back this up:- A study from the Netherlands found that low levels of vitamin D were directly related to symptoms of major and minor depression in 169 individuals 65 years and older.
- A study published in the Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine that included 2070 people ages 65 and older found that vitamin D deficiency is associated with depression in northern countries, although major depression was only seen in individuals with the most severe vitamin D deficiencies.
- One study from the University of Toronto tested the effects of vitamin D supplementation on subjects during the months of December-February and found those who received vitamin D saw an improvement in their depressive symptoms.
- Vitamin D and mental health has also been shown to extend beyond depression. Schizophrenia has also been linked to low levels of vitamin D. A study from the University of Cambridge found infants born in winter and spring seasons (when the mother has low levels of vitamin D) have an increased risk of developing this disorder.
- This comes back around to testosterone as well. If your vitamin D levels are optimal (which likely isn’t the case unless you’re supplementing), then it’s likely that your testosterone levels aren’t where they should be either. The problem is, studies show a connection between healthy testosterone levels and improved mental health. Lower testosterone levels are linked with depression and anxiety while higher testosterone levels are associated with positive mood and happiness.
Now What?
Alright, man— so you know you need to optimize your vitamin D levels if you’re going to be at your best… Boost testosterone, protect your immune health, lose body fat and keep your mental health in check. But before you go running to the store to get some, you should know that not all vitamin D is created equally. Liquid vitamin D3 seems to absorb better than the powder form (tablets, too) of this hormone. And trying to judge if you’re getting the right amount of vitamin D3 in a dropper can be challenging. So to get all the vitamin D3 benefits I mentioned above, I recommend taking a vitamin D3 gelcap. And I want to give you an opportunity to do that for a discounted price that you likely won’t even pay at a cheapo supplement at a retail store… even though there’s nothing cheap about this vitamin D3 supplement. It’s called Man D3. Not only is it an easy to swallow gelcap, but it’s also in the science-backed dose of vitamin D3 that’ll help you get all the benefits you’ve seen through this article. To grab your supply of Man D3 go here. You’ll be glad you did.- Chad
