What Happens to Your Vitamin D Levels as You Age?

Your body needs vitamin D to function properly, but as you age, your vitamin D levels can begin to decline. To get enough vitamin D, you need healthy skin, a healthy liver, healthy kidneys, and the ability to get enough sunlight, all of which can change as you age.

Why vitamin D levels decline with age

Vitamin D is a hormone1 They require sunlight, skin, liver, and kidneys to function fully. Dr. Matthew Badgetta lifestyle medicine and internal medicine specialist at the Cleveland Clinic.

“Older people tend to do this.” Less sunlight and less vitamin D precursors in the skin” Badgett said.

Aging can also affect how the body processes vitamin D. The liver may reduce production of an enzyme called 25-hydroxylase, which helps activate vitamin D3, but this reduction has only been shown in mice and not in humans, Badgett said.

Badgett added that vitamin D production may also decrease because kidney function declines with age, especially in older adults with chronic kidney disease.

How to increase vitamin D levels if you are deficient in vitamin D

If your doctor diagnoses that your vitamin D levels are low, there are many steps you can take to increase your vitamin D levels. Start by spending more time outside.

“Of all the problems, reduced skin production is likely to be the main limiting factor. This means older people may need more sunlight to produce sufficient amounts of skin,” Badgett said. However, he added that it is important to avoid sunburn, as it can increase the risk of skin cancer.

Some common medications can also cause sun sensitivity, such as blood pressure medications and certain antibiotics. Therefore, it is best to avoid being in the sun for more than 15 minutes.

If you live in a cold, dark climate, supplements may be helpful. “This will also improve your vitamin D levels, but you may not be able to reap the full benefits of sunlight,” Badgett says. “As we get older, we often need higher doses.”

On that note, be sure to ask your doctor or pharmacist about the amount of vitamin D you need. At higher doses, Vitamin D toxicity can occur.2

Although you can increase your intake of vitamin D from your diet, it is difficult to get enough from your diet alone. Your best bet may be to increase your vitamin D intake through a combination of sunlight and diet, and if that doesn’t work, add a supplement.2