It is becoming clear that many adults are vitamin D deficient. With all the constant reminders of the damage that sun can cause, and our indoor and car lifestyles, few of us are making much vitamin D.
Though plants and many animals make vitamin D, many foods in our diet do not contain much vitamin D. A major dietary source is fish. Eggs, dairy products and mushrooms are other sources, but they are much lower than many fish. Milk is usually fortified with vitamin D, as are some cereal products and margarines.
Our skin can make all the vitamin D that we need. Strong UV light hitting the skin activates the synthesis of vitamin D.
However, many adults do not get the RDA for vitamin D. Some estimates are that half the adult population is vitamin D deficient. The RDA is 200 IU from birth to 50 years, 400 IU from 51 to 70 years, and 600 IU for 71 years and older. There are some nutritionists who feel that these numbers are too low, and should be revised up.
Vitamin D has many important roles in the body. It is involved in immune responses, maintenance of bone, prevention of some cancers, and the cardiovascular system. Low levels have been implicated in arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease and osteoporosis.
A study of seriously ill patients found that 45% of them had very low vitamin D levels. Generally the sicker they were, the lower their levels of vitamin D.
It is not clear whether the patients had low levels of vitamin D and this increased their risk of becoming seriously ill, or they depleted their vitamin when they got very sick.
Vitamin D is important for the health of many of our organs. So it is important particularly when seriously ill to have adequate levels of vitamin D.
The authors of the study suggest that perhaps the very sick should get vitamin D supplementation to boost their levels.
The bottom line: If you are not getting much sun exposure or live in an area with weak sun , taking vitamin D supplements is probably a good idea. But don’t overdo it, too much vitamin D supplementation taken over an extended period of time is toxic.
[tags]vitamin D, RDA, seriously ill, low vitamin D, vitamin D deficient[/tags]
