Vitamin D – Sunshine Vitamin is Hot
I get one question more than any other.
“What supplements do I need?”
It doesn’t matter if it’s a 15 year old young athlete trying to put on some muscle, a working mom who is trying to shed those last 10 lbs, or a 60 year old grandpa who is looking to improve his health …
And my answer is always the same – let’s first look at your diet before assessing if you should be taking a supplement(s). Most are overrated, but there are some that have merit for sure.
And one vitamin that continues to dominate the science and media is vitamin D –the “Sunshine Vitamin.” 
Not long ago it was thought of as more of a “helper” nutrient – helping the body better utilize its calcium for strong bones.
But the game has changed. Experts now realize that vitamin D has a positive effect on many different functions in the body:
• muscle strength
• bone health
• potentially reducing the risk of type 1 and 2 diabetes
• obesity
• cancer prevention
• Alzheimer's
• arthritis
• decreasing falls with elderly
• other inflammatory issues
And more and more research is showing that a good majority of the population is deficient – here are just some prevalence numbers from several studies:
- 74% of premenopausal women
- 60% of elderly
- 50% of pregnant women
- 42% of children are deficient!
The first step is to get your levels tested – ask for your doctor to test 25-hydroxyvitamin D . The blood values should be between 50–80 ng/mL (or 125–200 nM/L) year-round.
In fact, I’m headed to the doctor later this month and will ask them to test my levels. I’ll keep you posted on my results.
So if it’s so important, where do we get it?
We can make vitamin D from sunlight. But most "shun the sun" – by either rarely venturing outdoors, or slathering themselves with 4000 SPF suntan lotion so it's like a suit of armor.
And some other foods provide D too, but it’s difficult to get through foods — milk is fortified, canned and wild salmon are good options, sardines, anchovies, egg yolks, liver, and only a few other foods provide decent quantities Vitamin D. Unfortunately most don't eat or drink many of those options above.
So what should we do?
- Go to the doctor and have your levels tested.
- Include some of those foods above for quality sources of D, along with other nutrients.
- Get out in the sun a bit – just 10 minutes each day seems to be sufficient.
- Add a quality vitamin D supplement – experts seem to agree that 1000 IU’s of Vitamin D3 each day is a good start. Of course talk to your health care provider and follow their specific recommendations.
Heck, even Ella takes 400 IU’s every single day … and she’s just 7 months old!
So to answer the “what supplement should I take” question — this is one supplement that I feel should be on everyone’s shelf.
For more information on dietary supplements, check out this interview with Hector Lopez, MD
And this interview with Dr. Douglas MacKay covers the critical information about the health benefits of omega-3 fats
January 13th, 2010 at 1:47 pm
Drs K and C,
I was going to ask about omega three faty acids as an important supplement. I guess you believe so because of the interview with the interview with Dr. MacKay…
Also wondering if you will blog about cleansing as it is a popular subject with many businesses popping up promoting their 30 day cleanse or 9 day cleanse etc and /or if you reccomend any specific products….
Thanks
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Chris and Kara Mohr Reply:
January 17th, 2010 at 6:47 pm
We’ll be talking about cleansing later this week. Thanks, Mike!
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January 13th, 2010 at 6:40 pm
So glad that you wrote about this topic, as it is an important one. I always have had at least 2 glasses of skim milk/day since childhood, taken vitamins (including a calcium supplement), and exercised (cardio and weight bearing). When I transferred to a new GI for treatment of ulcerative colitis, she explained that she was going to order a bone density scan and test my Vitamin D levels every 6 months. I was not aware that having UC put me at a greater risk for bone loss, and at that time I was 38 years old and felt that I had nothing to worry about, which is why I was stunned to learn that I had slight osteopenea in my hips. My doctor increased my calcium and Vitamin D intake and encouraged me to get at least 10-15 minutes of sun exposure/day, when possible, and to continue exercising. Thankfully, my last scan last summer showed some improvement. This was a great lesson that you cannot take your health for granted and assume everything is fine, simply b/c you feel fine and have no symptoms.
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January 14th, 2010 at 5:38 am
I will check my daily vitamins tonight to see where my D stands. The sun doesn't come out a lot here in Ohio at this time of the year and when it does I'm probably working….inside of course. I would love to hear your take on cleansing as well, or should a person just do a veggie diet for a period of time, I have been meaning to ask the doc but haven't needed to see him in quite a while.
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Chris and Kara Mohr Reply:
January 17th, 2010 at 6:46 pm
We’ll be discussing cleansing later this week. Thanks for the post!
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Ray Reply:
January 18th, 2010 at 11:33 am
Turns out GNC- Soloday has 100% of D3, but it has only 20% of Calcium and that is carbonate. So I'm adding 750 mg of calcium citrate.
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January 14th, 2010 at 8:15 am
After assuming my fatigue and weight gain was related to menopause I discovered, in addition to an undiagnosed thyroid condition, my Vit D level was way off. I now take 4000 iu a day in addition to the D I get in my calcium supplement. This amount keeps my Vit D level in the mid range!
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Chris and Kara Mohr Reply:
January 17th, 2010 at 6:46 pm
This is the exact reason they’re considering raising the RDA for Vitamin D — 4000 IU’s and it’s just “mid range”.
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March 5th, 2010 at 1:16 am
Lots of Good information in your post, I favorited your blog so I can visit again in the near future, All the Best
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