Why Are We All Low In Vitamin D?

I recently had my "Welcome to Medicare" free physical. Ron reminded me of this just weeks before my 66th birthday. You have one year to get your free physical. I'm one of those people who pretty much only goes to the doctor when all else fails. I figured this was a good opportunity to have blood work done and see how my healthy diet is really affecting my body.

My results were great. Everything was within normal range EXCEPT for vitamin D. Me, the California girl that spends lots of time outdoors playing golf, walking, swimming and gardening. How could I be low in vitamin D? After a conference with the doctor, I still can't figure it out. I did some research, and here's what I learned about vitamin D.


The problem of low vitamin D is a big one, because low levels have been linked to increased risk of the following conditions and diseases: osteoporosis, colon cancer, autoimmune diseases, such as MS and rheumatoid arthritis, muscle weakness and falls in elderly people, respiratory and other infections, and heart disease. A study at UC Davis noted that 94% of Chinese adults between 50-70 years of age were vitamin D deficient.

Eating more vitamin D-rich foods is a good idea, but vitamin D isn't found in too many places. The only natural source of vitamin D is fatty fish, such as wild caught salmon. Fortified foods such a cereals, orange juice and dairy will help you get additional vitamin D from your food. Government guidelines suggest it is safe to take up to 2,000 IU of vitamin D per day, but talk to your doctor before take this or any supplement.

Experts say the best way to get your daily dose of vitamin D is 20 minutes of direct exposure to the sun daily. I get that, and much more, so why am I still low? Some say it's all the sunscreen we slather on our bodies, but again, that's not the case with me. I just use sunscreen on my face.

My unprofessional opinion is that as we age, our bodies do not absorb vitamin D as well as when we were young. Also, it wasn't until recently that blood panels even tested for vitamin D, so were our grandparents low in vitamin D? There's no way to know.

For now, I'm taking a 2000 IU supplement, in addition to spending 30-60 minutes in full sunlight every day. If that doesn't do it, I give up. And what about skin cancer from being in the sun too much? You're damned if you and damned if you don't.