Vitamin D Deficiency: Unrecognized Epidemic and Widespread Health Implications

Security Now (Audio) · December 28, 2025 · Listen to Original Episode →

Original Title:

TL;DR

Vitamin D, a steroid hormone misclassified as a vitamin, is crucial for immune support and has been linked to reduced risks of various cancers, cardiovascular disease, and autoimmune disorders.
Vitamin D production is primarily driven by UVB radiation interacting with skin cholesterol, but modern lifestyles, aging, and increased sun avoidance significantly impair natural synthesis.
Supplementing with vitamin D3, alongside vitamin K2, is recommended to ensure proper calcium absorption into bones and prevent arterial calcification, balancing D3's effects.
The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for vitamin D is based on preventing rickets, not optimal health, and is significantly lower than levels associated with reduced disease risk and improved well-being.
Vitamin D receptors are found in numerous organ systems beyond bone and kidney, indicating its widespread influence on cellular function, immunity, and overall health.
Insufficient vitamin D levels correlate with increased incidence of conditions like autism and certain cancers, suggesting a broader role in development and disease prevention than previously understood.
Pharmaceutical companies are developing vitamin D analogs for patentable drugs, highlighting the therapeutic potential of vitamin D while underscoring the lack of financial incentive for studying the unpatentable natural compound.

Deep Dive

The central argument is that vitamin D, a steroid hormone misclassified as a vitamin, is crucial for overall health, functioning as a potent immune support and influencing numerous bodily systems beyond calcium metabolism, yet widespread deficiency persists due to modern lifestyles and a lack of public awareness and research funding. This deficiency carries significant downstream consequences for chronic disease risk, immune function, and even mood, necessitating a proactive approach to monitoring and supplementing.

The implications of this understanding are far-reaching. Vitamin D's role extends to non-calcemic actions, with receptors found in organs like the gonads, pancreas, and immune cells, suggesting a broader influence than previously understood. Studies indicate that higher vitamin D levels correlate with substantially reduced risks of various cancers, cardiovascular disease, and autoimmune conditions, highlighting its preventative potential. Furthermore, its impact on mood and immune response was demonstrated by a notable reduction in influenza cases in a hospital ward where patients were supplemented, even when exposed to infected individuals. This immune-supporting function gained particular attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, where higher vitamin D status was linked to better outcomes.

However, despite this growing body of evidence, widespread deficiency remains an "unrecognized epidemic." The original Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of 400 IU, based on preventing rickets rather than optimizing health, is now considered insufficient. Modern life, characterized by indoor living, increased use of sunscreen, and aging populations, further exacerbates the problem, as the body's ability to produce vitamin D from sun exposure significantly diminishes with age and skin pigmentation. This creates a critical gap, as natural food sources are scarce and insufficient to meet physiological needs. The lack of patentability for vitamin D also disincentivizes large-scale pharmaceutical research, leaving a void in comprehensive studies and public health initiatives. Consequently, the primary recourse for individuals is to monitor their vitamin D levels through testing and consider supplementation, ideally with D3, while consulting with healthcare professionals to determine appropriate dosages and avoid potential toxicity, which is rare but possible with excessive intake. The shift in medical practice, with vitamin D testing becoming routine, signals a growing recognition of its importance, yet the proactive management of deficiency remains largely an individual responsibility.

Action Items

Audit personal vitamin D levels: Test current 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration to establish a baseline for supplementation.
Implement vitamin D3 supplementation: Begin daily intake of 1,000-2,000 IU of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) to ensure sufficient levels.
Integrate vitamin K2 supplementation: Add vitamin K2 to daily regimen to direct calcium absorption into bones and away from arteries.
Consult physician on vitamin D and K2: Discuss current vitamin D levels and planned supplementation with a healthcare provider, especially if on blood thinners.
Schedule annual vitamin D testing: Plan for yearly blood tests to monitor vitamin D levels and adjust supplementation as needed.

Key Quotes

"The problem is we massively process food. We're now indoors behind glass. We've made a huge number of changes to the way we operate. We don't get the exercise that we used to. We're not spending most of our day out gathering food or hunting and exercising. So we've changed our environment dramatically."

Steve Gibson explains that modern lifestyles have significantly altered our environment, leading to changes in diet, activity levels, and indoor living. This shift, he argues, has created a disconnect from natural processes that were once essential for health, setting the stage for why certain supplements, like vitamin D, have become important.

"UVB radiation when it hits the cholesterol in our skin is what creates vitamin D. It's an amazing thing, actually."

Steve Gibson highlights the fundamental biological process by which our bodies produce vitamin D. He emphasizes that this is not an external dietary intake but an internal synthesis triggered by specific solar radiation interacting with a component naturally present in our skin.

"The whole RDA system is based on, 'You will die if you don't get this much of something,' minimum daily requirement. Yes, it is not the healthy daily requirement, which is one of the things that has steered so many people wrong."

Steve Gibson points out a critical flaw in the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) system for nutrients. He argues that RDAs are set at a minimum level to prevent severe deficiency diseases, rather than at an optimal level for promoting overall health and well-being.

"What happens is that raising your blood level of D also causes calcium and phosphorus to be more strongly absorbed from your diet. That increases the calcium in your blood, and you don't want loose calcium floating around. It can get up to some mischief, like plating out onto your arterial walls and clogging up your kidneys. So adding some K2 carboxylates two proteins which have the effect of driving the calcium into your bones, which is where you want it to go, and keeping it out of your arteries."

Steve Gibson explains the synergistic relationship between vitamin D and vitamin K2. He details how vitamin D enhances calcium absorption, and how vitamin K2 is crucial for directing that absorbed calcium to the bones and preventing its harmful deposition in soft tissues like arteries and kidneys.

"Vitamin D deficiency is an unrecognized epidemic among both children and adults in the United States. Vitamin D deficiency not only causes rickets among children, but also precipitates and exacerbates osteoporosis among adults and causes the painful bone disease osteomalacia. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with increased risks of deadly cancers, cardiovascular disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and type 1 diabetes mellitus."

Steve Gibson emphasizes the widespread and serious health consequences of vitamin D deficiency. He lists a range of conditions, from bone diseases to chronic illnesses and cancers, that have been linked to insufficient levels of this crucial nutrient.

"The problem is that you cannot patent vitamin D. There, it is incredibly difficult to perform expensive, right? There's no incentive to do that."

Steve Gibson identifies a significant barrier to widespread research and public health initiatives regarding vitamin D. He explains that because vitamin D is a naturally occurring substance that cannot be patented, there is a lack of financial incentive for pharmaceutical companies to invest in extensive, costly studies.

Resources

External Resources

Books

"Vitamin D Physiology, Molecular Biology and Clinical Applications" - Mentioned as a comprehensive textbook on the topic.

Articles & Papers

"Prospective study of predictors of vitamin d status and cancer incidence and mortality and men" (Source not explicitly stated) - Discussed for its findings on the reduction of cancer incidence and mortality with increased vitamin D levels.
"American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2004" - Referenced for its overview of vitamin D deficiency and its association with various health risks.
Study by Stumpf et al. (1979) - Cited for identifying vitamin D receptors in various tissues beyond those involved in calcium regulation.
Nested case control study from Johns Hopkins Operation Clue cohort - Discussed for its findings on the reduced risk of colon cancer in individuals with higher vitamin D levels.
Study correlating rainfall figures with autism incidence - Mentioned as an example of how correlation can be misinterpreted, with the underlying factor likely being reduced sun exposure.
Study on women in Nebraska (2000-2005) - Referenced as a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study showing a significantly lower incidence of cancer in women taking vitamin D and calcium.

People

John Cannell (MD, Psychiatrist) - Mentioned for his work at Atascadero State Mental Hospital and his use of vitamin D for psychological benefits, leading to its adoption for all patients due to its immunizational effect.

Websites & Online Resources

grc.com - Mentioned as the website where Steve Gibson hosts his research and information, including a vitamin D page.
lifeextension.com (LEF.org) - Referenced as a source for retail blood testing services.
iherb.com - Mentioned as a preferred supplier for supplements.

Other Resources

Vitamin D - Discussed as a crucial hormone, not a vitamin, involved in numerous bodily functions beyond calcium metabolism, with a focus on its immune support and potential role in preventing various diseases.
Vitamin K2 - Mentioned as a beneficial supplement to take alongside vitamin D3 to help direct calcium into bones and away from arteries.
Cod Liver Oil - Historically used to cure rickets, but noted to contain high levels of vitamin A which can interfere with vitamin D's positive effects.
RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) - Discussed as being based on preventing deficiency (like rickets) rather than promoting optimal health, with the historical 400 IU figure being significantly lower than what is naturally produced by sun exposure.
Cholecalciferol (D3) - Identified as the preferred form of vitamin D supplementation, being biologically identical to what the body produces.
Ergocalciferol (D2) - Mentioned as a plant-based alternative but considered less effective than D3.
UVB Radiation - Explained as the specific type of ultraviolet radiation from the sun that interacts with cholesterol in the skin to produce vitamin D.
Seven dehydrocholesterol - Identified as the precursor in the skin that is converted to vitamin D by UVB radiation.
25 hydroxy vitamin D - Described as the storage form of vitamin D measured in the bloodstream, produced by the liver.
125 dihydroxy vitamin D3 - Identified as the final, biologically active form of vitamin D, a potent steroid hormone produced by the kidneys.
VDRs (Vitamin D Receptors) - Mentioned as being present in numerous tissues and cell lines, indicating vitamin D's widespread influence.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) - Briefly mentioned in relation to vitamin D's positive influence on mood.
Autism - Discussed in relation to latitudinal correlations, suggesting a link to maternal vitamin D levels during pregnancy.
Chronic Migraine (Botox Advertisement) - Mentioned as an advertisement during the podcast.
TWIT Listener and Viewer Survey (twit.tv/survey26) - Mentioned as an annual survey to gather audience information for advertisers.