I Live Where the Sun Always Shines — Yet I Was Vitamin D Deficient
I Live Where the Sun Always Shines — Yet I Was Vitamin D Deficient
How one gene and one injection changed everything.
I always believed that maybe this is what forty-three feels like—waking up tired, skipping parties, feeling low on energy. Living in Miami, where the sun shines almost every day, I couldn’t imagine being Vitamin D deficient. I thought perhaps it was just stress, hormones, or age. But as it turned out, it wasn’t about the sun at all. It was about my genes.
For years, I tried everything—sprays, capsules, Vitamin D with K2, without K2. Nothing worked. I blamed the brands, my schedule, even my mood, until one day a DNA test revealed the truth. A small variant in my CYP2R1 gene was slowing down the way my liver converted Vitamin D into its active form. In simple terms, my body couldn’t use what I was taking.
Then came my wake-up call. My DEXA scan showed early bone loss, and my Vitamin D levels were barely within the normal range. That’s when I decided to try injectable Vitamin D, a form that bypasses the liver conversion step. Within weeks, my energy returned. My mood stabilized. I could focus again. For the first time in years, I felt awake, bright, and alive.
The CYP2R1 gene plays a crucial role in converting Vitamin D3—whether from supplements or sunlight—into the active form your cells actually use. When this conversion is slow, even high doses of Vitamin D may not be effective. Fortunately, there are natural ways to support this process. Magnesium helps activate Vitamin D, zinc stabilizes the enzyme structure, and boron prolongs its half-life. These small cofactors help the body complete the biological chain it depends on.
For a long time, I thought fatigue and low mood were just part of getting older. But in reality, they were signs that something in my biology wasn’t working optimally. I wish I had known earlier. I would have enjoyed more, worried less, and lived fully.
Don’t repeat my mistake. Check your Vitamin D levels—and more importantly, your genetics. Sometimes the key to longevity lies in a single insight.
If you want to know your CYP2R1 status or understand how your body processes Vitamin D, schedule a consultation at our Miami clinic or order your genetic test online. One test can guide your health for a lifetime.