Sunlight on Vitamin D

Do you get enough vitamin D? The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Dec. 2008 sheds daylight on this question.

One study found that vitamin D levels appear lower among Americans than 15 to 20 years ago. The decline in vitamin D levels is attributed to these factors: increasing body weight, declining milk consumption, and increasing use of sun protection.

How to get your RDA of Vitamin D?

• Daily sun exposure of 10-15 minutes in non-peak hours may provide adequate vitamin D
• People who use sun protection (Don't we all?) need more time in the sun or other sources of vitamin D.
• Dietary sources of vitamin D:
• Fatty fish (also a good source of Omega 3)
• egg yolks
• fortified foods (toxicity from fortified foods is rare
• Vitamin D supplements at currently recommended doses can increase vitamin D levels in the body. There is wide diversity (600%) in human absorption of vitamin D (mostly related to weight)

Related articles:

• Shedding light on vitamin D (mayoclinic.com)
• Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin D and Calcium (iom.edu)
• US Government Food and Nutrition Information Center (usda.gov)
• USDA Reference Daily Intakes (usda.gov)
• Calcium, Vitamin D Pills Don't Help Heart (nlm.nih.gov)
• 'Guiding Stars' Food Label Program Seems to Boost Healthful Food Sales (usnews.com)
• High-Dose Vitamin C May Boost Women's Cataract Risk (nlm.nih.gov)
• Vitamin D Linked to Survival in Lymphoma Patients (nlm.nih.gov)
• Vital Signs: Nutrition: Chocolate Milk May Reduce Inflammation (nytimes.com)
• Coming Soon to a Restaurant Near You: Calories on the Menu (christ-web.com)
• Blog posts by Dr. Mercola (blogs.mercola.com)