Vitamin D plays a role in many aspects of good health, but its role in bone health is most important. With insufficient vitamin D, you're at risk for weakened or deformed bones. Too much vitamin D, however, may also cause serious health problems. You can obtain vitamin D naturally or through supplements, but either way, it's important to ensure you obtain a sufficient, but safe amount.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D's link to proper calcium and phosphorus absorption in the body makes it an important nutrient for bone health. Osteoporosis, a condition of weakened bones, and osteomalacia, a disorder of soft and deformed bones, are possible byproducts of a lack of vitamin D. Studies cited by the Harvard School of Public Health show vitamin D's possible role in controlling infections, decreasing cancer cell proliferation and increasing muscle strength.
Sources
Food, sunlight and supplements are the three ways to obtain vitamin D. Vitamin D foods include fatty fish, such as sardines and salmon, egg yolk, liver and fortified milk and cereals. The body requires skin exposure to generate vitamin D from the sun. Many factors influence vitamin D production from the sun, however, including skin pigmentation, amounts of sun dependent on latitude locations and sunscreen use. Vitamin D supplements are also readily available.
Recommended Dosages
Recommended daily intake of vitamin D for adults and children 70 and younger is 600 IUs per day. For adults 71 and older, 800 IUs of daily vitamin D are needed. The Harvard School of Public Health states that concerns about excessive vitamin D levels in the blood are overstated, and considers 1,000 to 1,200 IUs per day a moderate dose, perhaps even too low, based on vitamin D's possible beneficial role in a number of health conditions. Excessive levels of vitamin D can cause toxicity. The Institute of Medicine sets the safe upper limit at 4,000 IUs per day. Toxicity symptoms include mood changes, nausea, weight loss, increased calcium in the body leading to calcification of the tissues, and possible organ damage.
Measuring Vitamin D
A blood test will tell you how much vitamin D you have in your blood. If vitamin D levels are low, your doctor might recommend a vitamin D supplement or an increase of vitamin D-fortified foods, such as fortified milk; 1 cup provides 100 IUs of vitamin D. People more at risk for vitamin D deficiency include residents of nursing homes, obese or overweight people, dark skinned people, people on anti-seizure medication and people who are homebound or don't go outdoors much.
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