Do I Need To Supplement My Diet With Vitamin D3?

Are You Vitamin D Deficient?  

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 90 million people in the US are vitamin D deficient. Problems converting vitamin D from food or sunshine can set you up for a deficiency. Factors that increase your risk include:

• Age 50 or older
• Dark skin
• Living in northern half of US
• Overweight, obese, gastric bypass surgery
• Liver or digestive diseases, such as Crohn's disease or celiac
• Using sunscreen can interfere with getting vitamin D, but abandoning sunscreen can significantly increase your risk for skin cancer.

How Does Vitamin D Help Support My Body?

• Vitamin D is critical for strong teeth and bones, from infancy into old age. It helps the body absorb calcium from food.
• Studies suggest that people with higher levels of vitamin D in their blood may have a lower risk for colon and prostate cancer.
• Less coronary artery disease and a decrease chance of developing type 1 diabetes.
• Increased muscle strength and coordination.

Can My Doctor Test My Vitamin D Level?

• There's a simple blood test used to check your vitamin D level, called the 25-hydroxyvitamin D test.
• Current guidelines by the Institute of Medicine set a blood level of 20 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) as a goal for good bone health and overall health. However, some doctors say people should go higher, to about 30 ng/mL to get the full health benefits of vitamin D.

How Much Vitamin D Do You Need?

• The recommended dietary allowance for vitamin D is 600 IU (international units) per day for adults up to age 70. People aged 71 and older should aim for 800 IU from their diet.
• Most children and adolescents don’t get enough vitamin D from drinking milk. They should have a supplement with 400 IU to 600 IU.

Which Form Of Vitamin D Should I Use?

Vitamin D3 is considered the natural form of vitamin D and is the most active.