{"id":255567,"date":"2025-12-28T11:58:29","date_gmt":"2025-12-28T11:58:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/255567\/"},"modified":"2025-12-28T11:58:29","modified_gmt":"2025-12-28T11:58:29","slug":"physiotherapist-says-vitamin-d-behaves-like-a-hormone-shares-supplement-mistakes-and-4-best-ways-to-optimise-levels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/255567\/","title":{"rendered":"Physiotherapist says \u2018vitamin D behaves like a hormone\u2019, shares supplement mistakes and 4 best ways to optimise levels"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a class=\"backlink\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/topic\/vitamin-d\" data-vars-page-type=\"story\" data-vars-link-type=\"Manual\" data-vars-anchor-text=\"Vitamin D\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Vitamin D<\/a> deficiency is far more widespread than most people realise &#8211; and winter only makes the problem worse. With shorter days and reduced sunlight exposure, levels tend to drop just when the body needs support the most. Yet many people still don\u2019t fully understand how vitamin D actually works, often treating it like a simple supplement rather than a powerful regulator of multiple bodily functions.<\/p>\n<p>     <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/vitamind_1766649362583_1766649372877.png\" alt=\"Vitamin D is responsible for crucial bodily functions.(Image generated via Google Gemini)\" title=\"Vitamin D is responsible for crucial bodily functions.(Image generated via Google Gemini)\"\/>   Vitamin D is responsible for crucial bodily functions.(Image generated via Google Gemini)    <\/p>\n<p><strong>Also Read |<\/strong> <a class=\"backlink\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/lifestyle\/health\/orthopaedic-experts-share-5-foods-to-prevent-vitamin-d-deficiency-and-maintain-bone-health-during-sun-deprived-winters-101766582027818.html\" data-vars-page-type=\"story\" data-vars-link-type=\"Manual\" data-vars-anchor-text=\"Orthopaedic experts share 5 foods to prevent vitamin D deficiency and maintain bone health during sun-deprived winters\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Orthopaedic experts share 5 foods to prevent vitamin D deficiency and maintain bone health during sun-deprived winters<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The result? Ineffective dosing, poor absorption and persistent deficiency. The good news is that optimising vitamin D levels isn\u2019t just possible &#8211; it\u2019s also about understanding the science and taking a smarter, more holistic approach.<\/p>\n<p>Ismat Khoja, a licensed physiotherapist and wellness coach based in Dubai, has highlighted the crucial role of vitamin D, explaining that it functions as far more than just a <a class=\"backlink\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/lifestyle\/recipe\/nutrientrich-persimmon-pudding-recipe-for-christmas-2025-try-this-healthy-dessert-at-home-101765871557966.html\" data-vars-page-type=\"story\" data-vars-link-type=\"Manual\" data-vars-anchor-text=\"nutrient\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">nutrient <\/a>&#8211; it actually acts like a hormone in the body. In an Instagram video shared on December 24, the physiotherapist breaks down where most people go wrong with vitamin D intake and explains the best ways to truly optimise its levels.<\/p>\n<p>   Vitamin D function<\/p>\n<p>According to Ismat, vitamin D isn\u2019t just a vitamin &#8211; \u201cit behaves like a <a class=\"backlink\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/topic\/hormone\" data-vars-page-type=\"story\" data-vars-link-type=\"Manual\" data-vars-anchor-text=\"hormone\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">hormone<\/a><a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/null\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"backlink\" data-vars-page-type=\"story\" data-vars-link-type=\"Manual\" data-vars-anchor-text=\"\u201d\">\u201d<\/a> in the body. However, most people are unaware of this crucial role and often end up using or supplementing it incorrectly. She goes on to outline the key benefits that emerge when vitamin D levels are properly and consistently optimised.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Strong immunity<\/li>\n<li>Better mood and serotonin<\/li>\n<li>Thyroid and hormone balance<\/li>\n<li>Bone density<\/li>\n<li>Lower inflammation<\/li>\n<li>Stable blood sugar<\/li>\n<li>Cellular energy<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Vitamin D mistakes<\/p>\n<p>The physiotherapist highlights that simply taking vitamin D3 supplements can actually backfire if they aren\u2019t paired with the right complementary nutrients that support proper absorption and utilisation in the body. She explains, \u201cTaking D3 alone without its helpers can raise blood levels but not absorption &#8211; and may push calcium where it doesn\u2019t belong.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ismat outlines the following nutrients that need to be paired with vitamin D3 supplements for best results:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Magnesium &#8211; for activation<\/li>\n<li>Vitamin K2 &#8211; to direct calcium into bones, not arteries<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The physiotherapist adds that if your levels don\u2019t improve despite taking supplements, it could signal underlying issues. She explains, \u201cIf your levels don\u2019t improve, it\u2019s often not \u2018low intake\u2019 &#8211; it\u2019s ongoing inflammation, gut issues, poor conversion, or lack of sunlight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> Best ways to optimise vitamin D levels<\/p>\n<p>Ismat emphasises addressing the issue at its root rather than obsessing over numbers, noting that the solution isn\u2019t taking more vitamin D &#8211; it\u2019s taking it the right way. She outlines the best practices you can follow to optimise your vitamin D levels.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Get natural sunlight<\/li>\n<li>Pair vitamin D3 with vitamin K2 and magnesium<\/li>\n<li>Take it in the morning<\/li>\n<li>Test levels every few months<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Vitamin D deficiency is far more widespread than most people realise &#8211; and winter only makes the problem&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":255568,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[277],"tags":[132445,18,135,19,17,50026,508,132444,11699,12731,40237],"class_list":["post-255567","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nutrition","tag-absorption-and-utilisation","tag-eire","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-nutrient-absorption","tag-nutrition","tag-optimise-vitamin-d-levels","tag-vitamin-d","tag-vitamin-d-deficiency","tag-vitamin-d3-supplements"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/115797079565471674","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255567","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=255567"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255567\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/255568"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=255567"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=255567"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=255567"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}