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Importance of Vitamin D: Could You Be Deficient?

September 24, 2014

I was actually surprised to learn last year that I was mildly deficient in vitamin D. I was getting a routine physical at the doctor and he decided to pull a lab value for me. The normal range is 30.0 to 74.0 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL), and I fell at 20ng/mL! I now take 1,000 IU of vitamin D supplements per day, plus extra calcium and my level has come back to normal.

If you tend to stay out of the sun, have milk intolerance or allergies, or follow a strict vegan diet, you may be at risk for a vitamin D deficiency. A diet without animal based products such as fish and fish oils, egg yolks, cheese, and milk can lead to a deficiency.

sun

Why do we need vitamin D?

Vitamin D is so important for bone health, by helping our bodies absorb calcium. A vitamin D deficiency can lead to osteoporosis or osteomalacia (bone softening).

There have also been some recent studies that have shown that a vitamin D deficiency increases your risk for type 1 diabetes, muscle and bone pain, and even certain types of cancers. It also increases your risk for heart attacks, arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Vitamin D also has a role in reducing blood pressure. Recent studies have also shown that a low level of vitamin D can be associated with depression and anxiety.

Vitamin D is so important for our body that we actually make it ourselves with sun exposure. In the US, only people who live in the southern US get enough sunlight for vitamin D production throughout the year. Those who work inside all day are also at risk for a deficiency.

Which blood test can determine if I’m deficient?

Your doctor can order a test for 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-ODH). Those with a level of 12-20 ng/mL are at risk for a vitamin D deficiency. The ideal level range is between 30 – 74 ng/mL.

How much vitamin D do we need?

If you get no vitamin D from the sun, and you get adequate amounts of calcium, the Institute of Medicine recommends getting 600 IU/day of vitamin D from diet or supplements for people 9-70 years of age. The Vitamin D Council recommends an intake of 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily and more if they don’t get any sun exposure. Be careful with over supplementation however. Too much can cause a high blood calcium level, which results in nausea, constipation, confusion, abnormal heart rhythm and even kidney stones.

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How can I get more vitamin D?

Being outside for about thirty minutes, twice a week without sunscreen, should allow your body to produce enough vitamin D. But too much sun exposure without protection increases your risk of skin cancer. It’s probably better to get vitamin D from food or supplements.

Vitamin-D-Deficiency

Surprisingly few foods actually contain vitamin D naturally, because our bodies are meant to absorb it through the skin. But once your body has enough, it doesn’t matter if you get it through your skin or stomach. Salmon, mackerel and mushrooms are great sources. Other sources include tuna, sardines, milk and yogurt fortified with vitamin D, egg yolks and cheese. Nearly all milk and orange juice in the U.S. is fortified with vitamin D.

If you want to use a supplement, the recommended form is vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol. This is the natural form that your body makes from sunlight.

 

Do you take vitamin D supplements?

Emily Weeks, RDN, LD
Emily Weeks, RDN, LD

Hi! I’m Emily, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and self-taught intuitive chef. I firmly believe that cooking is the simplest and most important step we can take to improve our minds and bodies and build healthier communities. Join me and let’s bring food back to the kitchen!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: importance of vitamin D, omega 3, supplement, vegan deficiencies, vegetarian deficiency, vitamin d, vitamin d deficiency, vitamin D supplement

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Alysia @ Slim Sanity says

    September 24, 2014 at 11:36 am

    I had blood work done two years ago, and I too was vitamin D deficient! I’m going in again next month, we’ll see if everything is back up to normal!

    • Zen & Spice says

      September 24, 2014 at 12:01 pm

      You’d think living in Dallas would prevent us from having deficiencies… haha! I work inside all day so that’s probably why I ended up deficient!

  2. Shikha la mode says

    September 24, 2014 at 11:48 am

    I recently learned I had Vitamin D deficiency, so this is definitely something to watch out for!

  3. Vitamin B 12 says

    December 17, 2014 at 7:14 am

    Vitamin D is the most neglected vitamin . People think that we get enough of it from the sun and that’s it. But it is so wrong . Many of us are deficient of this very important vitamin that make our bones strong. There is a need to write the awareness article like these .

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Meet Emily

I'm Emily Weeks, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. I believe the path to a nourished, happy life is to develop a healthy relationship with food, our minds and our bodies.

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