More on Vitamin D - Yahoo article

 This is from an article on Yahoo! by a lady named Weir.  Her article begins: Vitamin D provides a wide range of health benefits. It is effective in preventing rickets and treating other bone diseases such as osteoporosis. According to the Mayo Clinic, getting enough vitamin D may prevent high blood pressure and protect against certain types of cancer. It may also promote weight loss for women. A growing body of research links heart health to sufficient vitamin D.

Most recently, a large-scale study in the American Journal of Cardiology discovered that boosting vitamin D levels in heart patients who were deficient cut their risk of death by 60%, among other significant findings.

Getting enough vitamin D

It's estimated that 30-50% of Americans suffer from vitamin D deficiency. The human body produces vitamin D, which is actually a hormone, when exposed to sunlight. However, during the winter, it is impossible to get enough exposure anywhere north of San Francisco or Philadelphia. People in southern states who slather on sun block or who stay indoors most of the time may not be getting enough either. The same goes for people who are housebound due to illness or whose work keeps them inside all day. In addition to lack of sunshine, other conditions may increase likelihood of vitamin D deficiency:

o Infants who are exclusively breastfed. Mother's milk may not provide sufficient levels. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a supplement of 400 IU per day.

MyAchingKnees comment: 400 IU is the old RDA for Vitamin D. Nutritional experts now recommend many times that. The sources that I trust, recommend a minimum of 2,000 IU daily. And the benefit to Vitamin D, of course from a reputable company manufacturing a potent, bio-available product, is that 2,000 IU can come in a very small tablet form making it easy to take.

o Older adults. The elderly do not synthesize vitamin D as effectively as younger people and tend to spend more time indoors.

o People with dark skin. The pigment melanin can reduce the body's ability to produce vitamin D from sunlight.

o Obese people. Body fat alters the way vitamin D is released into the system.

Choosing a vitamin D supplement

If you are shopping for a supplement, research suggests that vitamin D3 is more effective than vitamin D2. Food sources rich in vitamin D include cod liver oil, fatty fish (such as mackerel), eggs, and fortified milk and orange juice.

MyAchingKnees comment: We agree that the form and source of Vitamin D to take is the D3 form. Most people just do get an adequate amount of good food each day, and have no way of knowing if they are getting the right amount of complete nutrients from their foods - other than repetitive blood tests, hence the need to supplement.

There is some debate over how much vitamin D to take. The National Institutes of Health recommends 600 IU per day for adults but some experts say that taking a supplement that contains between 1000-2000 IU can be beneficial. Its important to stay within the appropriate range--there is a toxicity at over 10,000 IU. The best way to determine how much you might need is to have your physician administer a simple blood test and make a recommendation based on the current level in you system.

MyAchingKnees: I take 3,800 IU of Vitamin D3 (as Cholecalciferol) daily, while my wife and college bound daughter take 4,400 IU each day.

For Information on the Products I recommend, click here, to contact me.