GAL Vitamin D3

Our company does not attribute any disease-prevention, treatment, or curative properties to our products, nor do we imply any such properties. That said, in the interest of transparency we provide the following information about the health effects of this product's active ingredients and their scientific background. We aim to present the latest, independent, and authoritative research to give interested readers a clear picture of the evidence. This is not intended to encourage a purchase. If our customers return to us with repeat orders, we hope it is only because they have experienced GAL's benefits for themselves, that is what we believe in, and why we do this work.

Why Is Vitamin D Supplementation So Important?

D3 is arguably the single most important vitamin for everyone to supplement in order to maintain their health. Despite a long list of conditions being linked to low vitamin D3 levels, almost no one gets enough of it.

Why Is Vitamin D Deficiency So Common?

Humans originate from near the equator, where our ancestors received abundant sunlight every day of the year, and their skin produced vitamin D3 accordingly. It takes 2–3 days for the vitamin D3 produced in the skin to be absorbed into the body, time our modern hygiene habits rarely allow. Our ancestors didn't use soap, shower gel, or hot water, which matters because these wash vitamin D3 out of the skin, while sunscreen blocks its production outright. Our ancestors' D3 levels were therefore high, and we're genetically adapted to that high baseline, so it's no surprise that today's widespread deficiency is linked to so many health problems. We simply aren't built to function well at lower D3 levels.

The Benefits of Optimal Vitamin D Levels

Over the past one to two decades, extensive research has examined the relationship between the body's vitamin D3 status and disease. Based on this body of research, optimal vitamin D levels have been associated with:

• Building and maintaining strong, healthy bones
• Avoiding influenza and other infections, and a faster, milder recovery when they do occur
• Lower blood pressure, along with protection against stroke and cardiovascular disease more broadly
• Prevention and easing of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes
• Studied for a possible role in easing symptoms associated with autism, schizophrenia, epilepsy, and Parkinson's disease
• Its effect on the immune system has been studied in relation to autoimmune conditions such as multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease
• Easing and helping prevent depression, a well-documented effect of sunlight exposure, thought to be partly attributable to its vitamin D-raising effect
• Increased fertility in both men and women, and higher testosterone levels in men
• Studied in relation to endometriosis, PCOS, and preeclampsia, as well as reduced risk of pregnancy-related insulin resistance and preterm birth
• Studied, beyond influenza, in relation to TB, asthma, COPD and other respiratory conditions, both for prevention and alongside treatment

Measuring Your Vitamin D Level

Your body's vitamin D status can be easily measured with a blood test for 25-OH cholecalciferol. Research suggests an ideal range of 75–175 nmol/L (30–70 ng/mL), though many practitioners consider levels well above this to be safe too. Unfortunately, most people fall well below the low end of the healthy range.

Vitamin D3 and Sun Exposure

Limited sunlight, distance from the equator, our hygiene habits, and modern lifestyles all make it difficult to reach adequate D3 levels through sun exposure alone. A 2007 study of surfers in Hawaii illustrates this well: most were found to be vitamin D deficient, despite spending a minimum of 22 hours a week in the sun, in swimwear, without sunscreen.

Diet isn't a practical solution either, since very few foods are naturally rich in vitamin D3, and even fewer people eat them regularly. That leaves supplementation as the practical way to bring the body's D3 status into the optimal 75–175 nmol/L (30–70 ng/mL) range.

Why Supplement D3, Not D2?

There are three types of vitamin D preparation on the market. The first is D2, extracted from mushrooms exposed to UV-B lamps, effectively “sun-tanned” mushrooms. This isn't an ideal source, since research doesn't support meaningful health benefits from D2 itself, even though some of it converts to D3 in the body.

The second is produced from “sun-tanned” lanolin (sheep's wool grease), in which vitamin D3 forms the same way it forms in the fats of our own skin under UV-B exposure. D3 extracted this way is the most natural form available, since it's produced through essentially the same process as when we make it ourselves in the sun.

The third is so-called vegan D3, produced by feeding genetically modified bacteria a petroleum derivative.

Vitamin D Overdose

Vitamin D3 overdose is rare, since it requires taking many times the recommended daily amount over an extended period. Vitamins A and K can help counter the potential downsides of an overdose, namely excess calcium in the blood and its deposition in tissue. Since vitamin K also supports vitamin D3's own effects, it's worth taking vitamins A and K alongside D3.

GAL Vitamin D Ingredients

Our product dissolves natural vitamin D3, sourced from “sun-tanned” lanolin, in MCT oil, which we stabilize with a natural vitamin E complex. It contains no other additives, and being dissolved in oil, its absorption is excellent.