The Vitamin D Controversy

Several months ago I wrote about my health checkup, and that a deficient amount of Vitamin D was my only area of concern. I wondered why, and I still wonder why. I've done quite a lot of online research, and the recommendations for Vitamin D vary so much, you just don't know who to believe.

Over the past 6 years guidelines for Vitamin D consumption have changed drastically. Some health professionals are recommending 600-800 IU per day, while others are recommending up to 2,000 IU's. As the body ages, absorption of Vitamin D is reduced, so seniors should increase their dosage as they age to help maintain optimum health.

Dr. Andrew Weil has raised his recommendation from 1,000IU of vitamin D per day to 2,000IU per day. Vitamin D is needed to facilitate calcium absorption and promote bone mineralization. Scientists have recently discovered that Vitamin D may help prevent several cancers, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, and respiratory infections including cold and flu. Is vitamin D the new Vitamin C?

We get vitamin D through foods such as fortified milk and cereals, eggs and fatty fish, as well as sun exposure. Ultraviolet rays trigger vitamin D synthesis in the skin. Dark skin, heredity, obesity and certain medications decrease the body's ability to make vitamin D. Most significantly, sunscreen blocks vitamin D synthesis in the skin. The research shows that most populations have low levels of vitamin D and that a supplement is needed for most. This is especially true for seniors, as the ability to synthesize vitamin D decreases with age. Add to this the fact that we use sunblock, and we are simply not getting the vitamin D we need.

Every expert has a different recommendation. Some say as little as 600 IU's is sufficient, others recommend as much as 4,000 IU's. As with everything, check with your doctor and see what his recommendation is. The more each of us takes responsibility for our own health, the better off we are. Going to your doctor with a few facts and figures of your own helps you get, and understand what is right for you.

I still contend that all the fuss over vitamin D levels is the result of scientists telling us to wear sunscreen. I don't remember hearing about low levels of vitamin D in the 60's 70's and 80's. We wore suntan lotion, not sunscreen, thus got lots of ultraviolet rays. Probably too much, because skin cancer is rampant, so we reduce the incidence of skin cancer, yet raise the number of people with deficient vitamin D levels. Is there any way to win?