Science Speaks: Why are vitamin D co-nutrients important?

Published on January 15, 2019

In a previous blog we mentioned that a lack of key vitamin D co-nutrients can keep vitamin D levels from rising. Today we will dive further into what co-nutrients are and how co-nutrients are important for vitamin D levels.

What are co-nutrients?

Co-nutrients are nutrients that work together for some process. If one co-nutrient is limited, either missing or not plentiful enough, then the process might also be limited. For example, your body needs magnesium for vitamin D metabolism; without sufficient magnesium, the amount of vitamin D that can be metabolized and used by your body is limited.

What does our data show?

Using your data from the D*action questionnaire, we plotted every participant’s supplemental vitamin D intake (dose) and blood level (response) and determined the average trends for participants who reported taking a supplement with magnesium and those who did not.

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The dose-response chart above shows that on average, those taking a supplement with magnesium have a higher vitamin D level for any given vitamin D intake amount than those not taking magnesium. Specifically, 56% more supplemental vitamin D is needed to achieve 40 ng/ml for those not taking magnesium compared to those who are.

How do I know if it’s working for me?

To help you track your supplement use and nutrient levels, GrassrootsHealth has created an online tracking system called myData-myAnswers. For each specific supplement, you can track what days you take it, what time of the day, if it was with a meal, and many other details. This will help you know your true supplemental intake for both vitamin D and other nutrients and how these intakes impact your vitamin D levels. Check it out today!

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How Can You Use this Information for YOUR Health?

Having and maintaining healthy vitamin D and other nutrient levels can help improve your health now and for your future. Measuring is the only way to make sure you are getting enough!

STEP 1 Order your at-home blood spot test kit to measure vitamin D and other nutrients of concern to you, such as omega-3s, magnesium, essential and toxic elements (zinc, copper, selenium, lead, cadmium, mercury); include hsCRP as a marker of inflammation or HbA1c for blood sugar health

STEP 2 Answer the online questionnaire as part of the GrassrootsHealth study

STEP 3 Using our educational materials and tools (such as our dose calculators), assess your results to determine if you are in your desired target range or if actions should be taken to get there

STEP 4 After 3-6 months of implementing your changes, re-test to see if you have achieved your target level(s)

Enroll in D*action and Build Your Custom Test Kit!