Do you remember your parents encouraging you to go play outside? They had good intentions — besides just keeping you active. The sun provides an essential vitamin known as the “sunshine vitamin,” and it's an important part of our daily lives. Kathy Wehrle, RDN, community outreach dietitian, explains how we can increase our vitamin D intake in more ways than one.
“It helps our bodies absorb calcium and phosphorous,” Kathy said, “which are necessary for bone growth and development. It is great for your immune system and disease resistance, it helps your body’s cells grow and develop, and it’s important for proper cardiovascular and muscle function.”
So how much vitamin D do we need?
Measured in IU’s (International Units), vitamin D recommendations vary by life stage, and are currently as follows:
Life Stage |
Vitamin D (IU/day) |
|
Birth to 12 months |
400 IU |
|
Children 1 to13 years |
600 IU |
|
Teens 14 to 18 years |
600 IU |
|
Adults 19 to 70 years |
600 IU |
|
Adults >71 years |
800 IU |
|
Pregnant and breastfeeding women |
600 IU |
As we age, our body’s ability to absorb vitamin D lowers and our suggested intake increases. Finding an effective dosage is essential because, “with proper amounts of vitamin D, you can prevent osteoporosis, some cancers, autoimmune diseases and hypertension.” Kathy said.
We get vitamin D from 3 sources: food, sunlight and supplements. The main and most common source is sunlight. While very few food products naturally contain vitamin D, some options would be fatty fish (such as salmon, tuna and mackerel), liver, egg yolk and some dairy products. Dairy products, cereals, breads, almond milk, soy milk, rice milk and orange juice are sometimes fortified with vitamin D (check the nutrient label for vitamin D content).
Unfortunately, vitamin D deficiency is becoming more and more common worldwide. Some populations are at a higher risk of deficiency than others, including:
- Nursed infants born in winter months
- Those with poor sun exposure
- Elderly
- Strict vegetarians (especially children)
- Those with darker skin
- Those with liver, kidney, GI disorders
- Excessive use of alcohol
“The best way to know if you have a vitamin D deficiency is to get checked!.” Kathy offers. “Your doctor can perform a simple blood test to tell you if you need more vitamin D. This test measures the amount of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in your blood. Blood levels below 12 ng/mL (nanograms per milliliter) indicate poor levels of vitamin D. Levels between 20 ng/mL to 50 ng/mL are considered adequate for healthy individuals.” It’s best to get this test when you are younger, while your bones are still growing. Spotting a deficiency and correcting it can help you prevent poor bone growth and other preventable diseases. Your doctor may recommend a supplement if you aren’t getting enough vitamin D. Research shows you can safely take up to 2,000 IUs a day in supplements, but always check with your doctor first. Look for a supplement