The Importance of Vitamin D

We’ve all heard it from our mothers before: “Make sure you drink all of your milk and take your vitamins!” Whether we’d like to admit it or not, our mothers were right. Those vitamins and glasses of milk, among many other things, are excellent sources of Vitamin D. And unfortunately, many of us are short on Vitamin D. So start making sure you are getting the proper amount of vitamin D; it has many more benefits than you make think.

What is Vitamin D and What does it do?

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in some foods and added to others, produced by our skin when exposed to direct sunlight, and available as dietary supplements. While vitamin D has historically been known to play a role in helping the body absorb calcium, maintaining bone density, preventing osteoporosis, and curing rickets, recent research suggests the vitamin can do much more than that.

Vitamin D may also help protect against chronic diseases such as:

Cancer (colon, breast and prostate)
Type 1 diabetes
Rheumatoid arthritis
Multiple sclerosis
Autoimmune diseases

Where Can I Get Vitamin D and How Much Should I Have?

Sources of Vitamin D:

Sun exposure (exposure to arms and legs for short periods of time)
Foods (cod liver oil, salmon, tuna fish, mushrooms, milk, orange juice, yogurt)
Dietary Supplements

*Recommended Intakes of Vitamin D by Age (in International Units (IU)):

0-12 Months – 200IU
1-13 Years – 200IU
14-18 Years – 200IU
19-50 Years – 200IU
51-70 Years – 400IU
71+ Years – 600IU

*Recommendations from 1997. Recent studies document the effectiveness of higher levels.

Who is at Risk for Vitamin D Deficiency?

Vitamin D deficiency is usually a result of a poor diet, limited sun exposure, impaired kidney conversion of vitamin D to its active form, or impaired absorption of vitamin D from the digestive tract. As you can see, obtaining sufficient vitamin D can be difficult for anyone without the help of a dietary supplement. However, the following groups are at a higher risk of vitamin D inadequacy:

Breastfed infants
Older adults
People with limited sun exposure
People with dark skin
People with fat malabsorption
People who are obese or who have undergone gastric bypass surgery

In Conclusion:

We can thank our mothers for making us all drink our milk and take our vitamins! But even with your mother’s advice, chances are you are still not getting enough vitamin D for good health. So boost your vitamin D with safe sun exposure, vitamin D-rich foods, and dietary supplements.

*Information in article gathered from the Office of Dietary Supplements, the American Dietetic Association, and WebMD.