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Dr. Westin Childs - RAPIDLY Increase Your Vitamin D (The Best Method)

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Community upload. AI output has not been independently verified.
Author: Dr. Westin Childs
Categories: Nutrition Health
Tags: nutrition, health
Views: 1 · Last viewed: 2026-10-13 22:53 UTC

Short Summary

Main recommendation: Raise vitamin D primarily through the sunlight method, using the sun as the first source and supplementing with vitamin D3 when sun exposure is insufficient, which the speaker calls the combination method. The speaker states vitamin D deficiency increases risk of symptoms like depression, fatigue, and muscle weakness, and is associated with more serious conditions like obesity, cancer, and diabetes.

Key Points

  • Sunlight is described as the rate-limiting step: UVB exposure on the skin creates pre-vitamin D3, which the liver and kidneys then convert into the active forms.
  • Vitamin D3 is preferred over vitamin D2 because the speaker says more studies show it raises serum levels more effectively.
  • Supplementing with magnesium, vitamin A, and vitamin K2 is presented as improving vitamin D's effectiveness, with magnesium required for activation and K2 directing calcium to bones rather than arteries.
  • Foods are described as a weak source of vitamin D compared with sunlight and supplements, with cod liver oil, trout, and salmon as the richest options.
  • The speaker says improvements in vitamin D levels and symptoms may appear after applying one or more of these methods consistently for 30 to 60 days.

Details Worth Noting

  • Concrete instructions:
    • Sunlight: get about 10 to 20 minutes of sun daily when the sun is high; check that your shadow is shorter than your height (sun in the optimal position); expose at least 40 percent of total skin surface area (for men, something like shorts; for women, a swimsuit); do not apply sunscreen to the body, though the speaker says face protection is acceptable; avoid overcast or cloudy conditions; for lighter skin, stay out until the skin turns slightly pink but not sunburned.
    • Supplements: choose vitamin D3, not D2; ideally test vitamin D before and about a couple of months after supplementing, though the speaker says he often does not test; the speaker's personal range is 2,000 to 5,000 IU of D3 daily, and up to about 10,000 IU for people who are overweight; take the supplement with a fatty meal, since vitamin D does not dissolve in water.
    • Combination: aim to get sun exposure at least three times per week, and supplement with a vitamin D3 and K2 product on days without sun; eat vitamin D-rich foods when possible, such as cod liver oil (about 1,300 IU per serving), trout (about 645 IU), or salmon (about 570 IU), noting that eggs provide only about 40 IU per serving.
  • The speaker says the RDA of about 600 to 800 IU per day is, in his experience, not enough to raise levels in most people; this is his personal view, not a clinical consensus stated in the video.
  • The speaker says sunscreen with SPF 50 blocks about 98 percent of UVB rays and that clouds block roughly 70 to 90 percent of UVB radiation.
  • The speaker says magnesium deficiency is common due to stress and that people deficient in vitamin D are likely also deficient in magnesium.

Bottom Line

Sun exposure and vitamin D3 supplementation are the two core levers the speaker emphasizes, with a food-based approach as a supporting source, though the speaker's dosing and sunscreen guidance are his own experience and not professional medical advice.