Recent reports of medical studies about Vitamin D deficiency may be causing some people to overreact and take harmful large doses of this naturally occurring, healthful byproduct of sunshine, according to Boyd Lyles, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of U.S. Preventive Medicine(R), an organization specializing in disease prevention.

Although there are studies that show that both men and women who have lower blood levels of Vitamin D also have a corresponding higher mortality rate, more Vitamin D is not necessarily better, said Dr. Lyles. He notes that other studies have shown significant toxicity in people who have consumed 2,000 IU (International Units) of Vitamin D daily, in part because Vitamin D is fat soluble and tends to accumulate in the body when taken in excess.

“We should all have a healthy respect for Vitamin D and its potential benefits and likely consequences if it’s overlooked or underutilized,” he said. “When visiting your physician, ask about your personal risk for Vitamin D deficiency and how much sun or supplements you should be getting. Even though guidelines exist for Vitamin D supplementation, the dose should be personalized and the best person to consult is your doctor.”

The actual recommendations for Vitamin D established by the U.S. Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences are as follows: 200 IU for those under age 50; 400 IU for those ages 50 — 70; and 600 IU for people over age 70.

Increased dosages are recommended as a person ages due to the skin’s declining ability to absorb the sun’s UVB radiation and the body’s declining ability to convert it to Vitamin D in the liver and kidneys. The usual recommendation of five to 15 minutes of daily sun exposure to the face, arms and hands should be weighed against an individual’s risk of developing skin cancer from sun exposure, cautioned Dr. Lyles. Some foods, such as fish, milk and other foods, are often fortified with Vitamin D.

Source: U.S. Preventive Medicine




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