Got D?

Are you getting enough vitamin D to support bone health, keep your spirits up and fight or alleviate certain cancers, heart disease, diabetes, asthma, arthritis and multiple sclerosis? Probably not. Are you as surprised as I was by the long list of vitamin D benefits?



A lot of the research on vitamin D has taken place in the last ten years. When the DRI (Dietary Reference Intake) was set at 600 IU, the only recognized benefit of vitamin D was preventing bone disease and deterioration.



The more recent research studies indicate you should get 1,000 IU daily and also that up to 10,000 IU a day is safe. It is difficult to get 1,000 IU a day through diet and sun exposure (which causes your body to produce vitamin D). The amount produced by sun exposure is diminished by sun protection, sunless days and dark skin, so it’s tricky to estimate. Further, the ability to produce vitamin D from sunlight declines with age.



The best foods for vitamin D are fatty fish like salmon, trout and mackerel and vitamin D-fortified foods. Fortified milk has 100 IU per 8 ounce glass and many other dairy products like yogurt are also available in D-fortified form.



Here is more information about Vitamin D.



Tags: vitamin D benefits, vitamin D DRI, vitamin D3 vs. D2