Low levels of vitamin D have a huge impact on nearly every health condition, including arthritis, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.(6,7) Deficiencies can play a role in multiple sclerosis, autoimmune disorders, infections, respiratory disease, and more.(8) 

These deficiencies impact everyone, not just the elderly. Vitamin D deficiencies can increase the risk of injury and recovery among young, healthy athletes.(9) 

Vitamin D levels can even determine how long you live. One review of 32 studies found that low levels could significantly increase your risk of early death.(10)

Because vitamin D plays so many roles in your body, the signs and symptoms of deficiencies can be far-reaching. They include: 

• Getting sick often 

• Bone pain or bone loss 

• Depression 

• Feeling tired often 

These and other symptoms are often subtle and non-specific. You might not connect them with low levels of vitamin D, and they might overlap with other conditions.(16)

While it impacts more women than men, depression doesn’t discriminate. It can happen to anyone at any age.(18) 

Several factors oftentimes contribute to depression. You can’t usually pin depression on any one specific condition or life event, and being depressed looks different for everyone.(19) 

Addressing the underlying factors that contribute can help prevent or alleviate mood disorders such as depression. Vitamin D can help. This key nutrient plays an important role in brain health.

Deficiencies can impair how your brain works and lead to problems including depression.(20) People with depression often have low vitamin D levels. People have low vitamin D, on the other hand, have a much greater risk of depression.(21)

Spending time in the sun and exercising outdoors can improve mental wellbeing and help improve vitamin D levels.(24) To get enough vitamin D levels to ease depression, however, you’ll want to supplement.(25) 

If you struggle with depression, please seek professional help. Talk with your healthcare practitioner about using vitamin D nutraceuticals as a way to manage depression.

If you find yourself coming down with a cold or flu, you might have low vitamin D levels. That’s because vitamin D works directly with the immune cells that fight infection. These cells depend on vitamin D to function.(26)

Deficiencies can stall your immune response, increasing your risk of illness and infection.(27) 

More specifically, low levels of vitamin D can increase your risk of respiratory tract infections including colds, bronchitis and pneumonia. Taking a vitamin D nutraceutical can reduce your risk of respiratory tract infections.(28)

Calcium gets most of the glory, but vitamin D is equally important for bone health.(31) 

Vitamin D helps your gut absorb calcium. Your bones need vitamin D for growth and remodeling. Along with other nutrients such as calcium and phosphate, vitamin D helps support bone health.(32) 

Without enough vitamin D, your bones become less dense, so you’re more likely to suffer broken bones. Bone quality also declines without enough vitamin D.(33) 

This decline can soften your bones, a condition called osteomalacia.(34) Osteomalacia can lead to fractures in older adults.(35) With osteoporosis, on the other hand, your bones become porous and brittle.(36)

Over 40 million American adults have or are at risk of developing osteoporosis, which increases your risk of fragile bones and significantly increases the risk of bone fractures.(37) 

Being obese can increase your risk of insulin resistance, where your cells “resist” the signal of this hormone. As a result, those cells can’t use glucose for energy.(41) Insulin resistance can pave the way for other health problems, including type 2 diabetes.(42) 

Many people who are insulin resistant have ow vitamin D levels.(43) Optimal vitamin D levels, on the other hand, can improve how your cells respond to insulin.(44) 

Vitamin D can also support the cells in your pancreas that help make insulin. The right amount can lower the chronic inflammation that often accompanies obesity and diabetes, too.(45)

You can also get vitamin D from your diet, but getting sufficient amounts can be hard.(55) Very few foods are rich in vitamin D, and many people don’t eat enough foods that are including fatty fish.(56) 

Some foods and drinks come fortified with vitamin D. Unfortunately, they often contain ergocalciferol or vitamin D2, a poorly absorbed form of vitamin D.(57) Besides, these foods and drinks often contain sugar and other problematic ingredients.

How much vitamin D your body requires depends on many factors including your age, race, where you live,season, how much sun you’re exposed to, and more.(58) 

The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for vitamin D nutraceutials is 600 IU or 15 micrograms (mcg) for nearly everyone aged one and over. That increases to 800 IU or 20 mcg once you hit 70 and older.(59) 

But you don’t want to just prevent deficiencies; you want to thrive. That requires optimal levels of vitamin D. 

The only true way to know if you’re deficient is to test. Most people should get vitamin D levels checked twice a year. If you have a higher risk of vitamin D deficiencies, ask your healthcare practitioner to test every three to four months.(60) If you’re low, work with him or her to reach adequate levels. 

Some experts argue current recommendations are too low -- sometimes way too low -- to reduce diseases.(61) One study showed that you need 5,000 IUs to have optimal blood levels of vitamin D above 30 ng/ml.(62) To get that amount, you’ll need to supplement.

• 5,000 IUs of Vitamin D3 

• 10 billion colony forming units (CFU) of probiotics. Supplementing with these healthy gut flora helps your body better use vitamin D.(65) 

• Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) prebiotics from chicory root to support probiotic health. Prebiotics are the food that probiotics feed on.(66)

With just one capsule with a meal every day, you can rest assured that you’re getting the right amount of vitamin D to fight infections, support bone health, lower your risk of depression, maintain a healthy weight, and so much more. 

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient. To absorb MaxLiving Vitamin D3 + Probiotics, always take it with a meal containing some healthy fat. 

Finally, while most people don’t get enough vitamin D, taking too much can also be harmful.67  Talk with your healthcare practitioner about monitoring your levels to assure you’re getting the right amount of vitamin D to get its many benefits.