Chris Shugart
The Brain Steroid
Most people today are either sad or mentally off-kilter. Maybe both. They need to be infused with this stuff.
Have you ever looked around at the grocery store or any public place and thought, "Wow, just about everyone here is out of shape." Of course you have. You have eyes.
How about this? Have you looked around and thought, "Wow, just about everyone is stupid, depressed, or in some way not playing with a full deck." Of course you have, because, statistically, it's true.
That sounds mean, but science is cruel sometimes. People seem dumber and crazier today because more and more of them have a specific nutritional deficiency affecting their brains. A deficiency or insufficiency in this quasi-vitamin leads to...
- Mood Disorders: Depression, anxiety, worsened bipolar disorder.
- Cognitive Impairment: Poor memory, attention, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control (the inability to control your impulses). Also: Impaired ability to plan, make decisions, and pursue goals.
How many people suffer (or make the rest of us suffer) from this deficiency? Somewhere between 65 and 75% of Americans. No wonder everyone seems a little whackadoodle these days.
If you haven't already guessed, the quasi-vitamin they're missing is vitamin D. It's "quasi" because it blurs the line between vitamin and hormone.
Not Just a Vitamin, But a Brain Steroid
Vitamin D is a vitamin, a secosteroid, and a neurosteroid. A neurosteroid is a steroid synthesized in the brain or peripheral nervous system that rapidly modulates neuronal excitability and brain function.
Neurosteroids are produced from cholesterol or other steroidal precursors and influence processes like mood, cognition, and neuroprotection by interacting with neurotransmitter receptors. Examples include DHEA, androstenedione, and pregnenolone.
Vitamin D, specifically its active form 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (calcitriol), is considered a neurosteroid because it can be synthesized in the brain and acts locally to regulate neural functions. It binds to vitamin D receptors (VDRs), influencing gene expression related to neuroprotection, inflammation, and synaptic plasticity.
So, low vitamin D levels cause all sorts of problems, from mood issues to the inability to focus. One study of psychiatric inpatients found 85% had low vitamin levels, with African Americans particularly affected. (The darker your natural skin, the more likely you are to be deficient in vitamin D.)
What Does This Mean to Me?
It means you need to call your congressperson and demand that we dump vitamin D into the water supply. Too much? Probably.
No, it just means that everyone needs to fix their vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency. For optimal brain and mood function, that's at least 30 ng/mL or above (blood test results). Sometimes you hear that lower numbers like 20 ng/mL are adequate, but that's only adequate for things like bone health. We need more to be happy, smart, and a little less nutty.
Unless you're a year-round sunbather, you probably need to supplement with vitamin D3. And even if you are a regular naked sunbather who lives in sunny Yuma, Arizona, once you hit your 40s, your skin begins to lose its ability to produce vitamin D in response to sunlight. The body's ability to absorb vitamin D from food and supplements declines with age, too.
To solve these issues, we used microencapsulated vitamin D3 in our D Fix (Buy at Amazon) supplement. Along with a delivery technology borrowed from the pharmaceutical industry, the microencapsulation process greatly enhances the bioavailability of vitamin D. It works even for those with malabsorption issues who normally rely on IV drips.
How much do you need to take? It depends on several factors, but most studies use 2000 to 10,000 IUs daily. Sometimes the high amounts are used for a few weeks to correct a severe deficiency, then lower amounts are used to maintain adequate blood levels. D Fix High Absorption Vitamin D (Buy at Amazon) contains 5000 IU per softgel.
Also, remember that your body needs adequate magnesium to transport, synthesize, and activate vitamin D. So, be sure you're topped off with this important mineral, too. More info here.
