There is so much talk about vitamin D. Is it really that important for our health? Most people get enough vitamin D, don’t they? Most people are surprised to know that many people are deficient in vitamin D, and people who live in Michigan are vitamin D deficient at least 6 months out of the year. Most of our patients are living in Michigan, so that alone puts them at risk of being Vitamin D deficient. Let’s take a look at who is at risk for being Vitamin D deficient, diseases that are linked with Vitamin D deficiency, the benefits of Vitamin D, how to get it, and how much you should be getting per day.
Risk Factors of becoming Vitamin D deficient:
People with darker skin
Obesity
Spending little time in the sun
People who wear sunscreen (reduces your ability to absorb Vitamin D by 90%)
People who live in colder climates (Michigan)
Chronic diseases associated with Vitamin D deficiency:
Osteoporosis
Some cancers
Multiple sclerosis
Infectious diseases
Seasonal flu
Benefits of Vitamin D:
Increases muscle strength
Reduces your risk of heart disease
Reduces the risk of fractures in the aging population
Decreases your risk for Diabetes Type 1
Lowers your risk in developing Multiple Sclerosis
Decreases the risk of developing Pre-eclampsia in pregnancy
Reduces risk of Cancer
Benefits Brain function
Important for bone health
Important for mental health
What are the sources of Vitamin D:
We get it naturally when we are in the sun. Short periods of time in the sun are safe and healthy. Exposing your skin to the sun 15 minutes a day can greatly reduce our risk of becoming Vitamin D deficient. However, many people spend little or no time in the sun and forget about the sun in the winter months. It also occurs naturally in foods like raw milk and cod liver oil. Again, not many people consume raw milk or cod liver oil. Lastly, it is fortified in foods but generally we still fall short of the daily recommended values. For most people in Michigan, taking a high quality Vitamin D supplement is the best way to ensure you are getting enough
Vitamin D.
How much Vitamin D do I need?
The Institute of Medicine's (IOM) recommended daily intake of vitamin D is 600 IU for people ages 1 to 70, and 800 IU after age 70. Yet this recommendation is overly conservative. But the new guidelines from the IOM note that in children over the age of 9 and in adults, taking up to 4,000 IU per day as a supplement is safe. For children ages 4 to 8, up to 3,000 IU per day is considered safe, and for children ages 1 to 3, 2,500 IU; in older infants (6 to 12 months), up to 1,500 IU per day is considered safe, and in young infants (0 to 6 months), up to 1,000 IU.
My recommendation is that you take a high quality Vitamin D supplement. Not all vitamins are equal and it is important that you have a quality supplement that your body can assimilate well. Talk to your doctor about Vitamin D supplementation to see if this is something you can benefit from.
