Vitamin D is coming up more often lately in the health care community.
Here’s what you need to know about this increasingly buzzworthy — but often confusing — essential vitamin.
Q: What is vitamin D?
A:
Q: Are you getting enough vitamin D?
A:
Q: Why are so many people deficient?
A:
Q: Why do we need it? A:
Q: How much do I need?
A:
Dr. Steven Grant, a family practice doctor with the Providence Physician Group in Marysville, recommends a 1,000 IU daily supplement to all his adult patients, even if they are already taking a daily multivitamin.
Q: Can I get tested?
A:
Older people, people with darker skin, obese people and infants fed only breast milk are more at risk of deficiencies.
Q: Should I expose my skin to the sun?
A:
Getting your D
Birth to 12 months: 200 IU
Children 1 to 18: 200 IU
Adults 19 to 50: 200 IU
Adults 51 to 70: 400 IU
Adults 71 years and older: 600 IU
Pregnant or breast-feeding: 200 IU
These recommended daily intakes for vitamin D, in international units, come from the National Academies, which sets the official recommended amounts used in nutritional labeling.
Later this year, the group is expected to revise the recommended levels, last updated in 1997.
Recommended maximum intake limits are 1,000 IU for age 0 to 12 months and 2,000 IU for all other ages.
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