Living In Canada: Why Vitamin D Matters More Than You Think
Dr. Madison Sangster-Newbery, ND
Vitamin D is often called the “sunshine vitamin,” but from a naturopathic perspective, it’s much more than that. Vitamin D acts like a hormone in the body and plays a foundational role in immune health, inflammation, bone strength, mood regulation, and overall resilience.
Despite its importance, vitamin D deficiency is incredibly common, especially in Canada. At northern latitudes, sunlight exposure is limited for much of the year. Research has shown that in cities like Boston and Edmonton (similar latitude to Toronto), there is insufficient UV-B energy for skin-based vitamin D production for 4-5 months of the year. That means even if you spend lots of time outdoors in the winter, you can still be deficient without realizing it.
Why Vitamin D Matters
Vitamin D influences over 1,000 genes and supports nearly every system in the body. It plays a role in:
One of its most well-known roles is calcium regulation and bone health. Without adequate vitamin D, less calcium is absorbed, increasing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures over time.
Equally important is vitamin D’s role in immune function. Adequate levels help the immune system respond efficiently to infections while reducing excessive inflammation. Increased vitamin D intake is associated with a lower risk of autoimmune diseases and respiratory tract infections.
Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency doesn’t always present with one obvious symptom. More often, it shows up as a collection of subtle, ongoing issues that are easy to overlook or attribute to stress, aging, or a busy lifestyle.
Symptoms of low vitamin D include:
Since these symptoms are nonspecific, many people can live with low vitamin D levels for years without knowing it. This is why testing can be so valuable; it allows for early identification and proactive support.
Why Low Vitamin D Levels Are So Widespread
In theory, we can make vitamin D through sun exposure. In reality, many factors limit this: living in northern latitudes, spending most days indoors, wearing sunscreen, and having darker skin pigmentation. Food sources, such as fatty fish, egg yolks, and fortified foods, provide relatively small amounts, making it difficult to meet needs through diet alone.
From a naturopathic standpoint, we also consider absorption and individual variability. Many factors can influence how vitamin D is activated and used in the body, including:
This major issue that I see in practice is that people are guessing. They supplement blindly, or not at all, without knowing if their levels are optimal or insufficient for their specific needs.
Testing and Individualized Dosing
Rather than guessing, I often recommend testing vitamin D levels to guide supplementation. This allows for personalized dosing, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. Optimal levels are often higher than the minimum required to prevent deficiency, particularly for individuals under high physical or mental stress, those with frequent infections, or athletes with increased recovery demands.
Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is the preferred supplemental form because it is better absorbed and more effective at raising and maintaining healthy blood levels. Because vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, it should always be taken with food containing healthy fats to maximize absorption and bioavailability.
Unlike water-soluble vitamins that your body easily eliminates, vitamin D is stored in fat tissue, allowing excess levels to accumulate with over-supplementation. This makes long-term high-dose supplementation without monitoring potentially unsafe. For this reason, vitamin D should not be treated as a casual supplement. Working with a qualified practitioner ensures proper testing, individualized dosing, safe duration of use, and optimized absorption based on your unique physiology, lifestyle, and health goals.
A Naturopathic Approach
In naturopathic medicine, vitamin D is rarely viewed in isolation. It is often supported alongside other key vitamins and minerals to optimize absorption and overall health.
When vitamin D levels are low or even sitting at the low-normal range, the entire system must work harder. This often shows up as vague, nonspecific symptoms like fatigue, frequent illness, low mood, poor recovery, inflammation, hormonal disruption, or low resilience to stress, symptoms that can easily be mistaken for other conditions and overlooked.
Optimizing vitamin D status is a simple yet powerful way to strengthen the body’s foundations, helping you feel more resilient, energized, and supported year-round.
Book here [https://cgoc.janeapp.com/] to get your vitamin D status tested and receive a personalized plan to optimize your levels safely and effectively.
Booking link: https://cgoc.janeapp.com/locations/adelaide-health-clinic/book#/staff_member/72
DISCLAIMER
The medical information in this article is provided as an information resource only and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information does not create any patient-doctor relationship and should not be used as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, and treatment. Please consult your healthcare provider before making any health-related decisions or guidance about a specific medical condition.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Madison Sangster-Newbery, ND is a licensed and registered Naturopathic Doctor in Ontario. She combines evidence-based medicine with traditional naturopathic principles to deliver personalized, results-driven healthcare focused on resilience, recovery, and long-term health.
With a clinical focus on hormones, immune health, stress regulation, and metabolic optimization, Dr. Madison emphasizes foundational medicine, addressing root causes rather than symptoms alone. Her approach to vitamin D and nutrient optimization reflects her broader philosophy: test don’t guess, personalization over protocols, and sustainable health over quick fixes.
Dr. Madison is passionate about helping high-performing individuals build strong foundations so they can train harder, recover faster, and live healthier all year round.
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