Should you be taking Vitamin D?

      If you were to ask me, "where does good health come from?" you would almost certainly hear an answer that sounded like "your good health will not come from pills."  Even doctors can fall into believing that pills can be the answer to staying well, but time, experience, and good science have told me that our personal choices are so much more important.  Good health comes from good food, healthy social connections, physical activity, and adequate sleep.  But...
 
    Even that core of good health choices may not get you enough vitamin D.  Humans were designed to get vitamin D from sunshine exposure on our skin, and unless you work outdoors in a warm climate without much skin covering, you are not going to get enough vitamin D.  And most of us are spending too much time indoors, or in artificial light anyway.  
 
    Why is vitamin D important?  You probably have heard that it's good for bones, and that's true.  Babies must have adequate vitamin D for bone development, to prevent rickets, which is now rare because of vitamin D supplements for nursing mothers and babies.

Even adults with low vitamin D are at higher risk for bone disease and fractures.  And beyond bone health, vitamin D is good for the immune system, so that those with higher blood levels are less likely to get sick from some infections.  Surprisingly, recent studies have even shown that people with higher blood levels of vitamin D are less likely (than people with low levels) to die of heart disease, cancer, or other causes.  So it seems to be a necessary ingredient for optimal human health. 


    Can you get it from food?  It's actually pretty hard, even with vitamin D fortified foods, to get enough.  So I recommend that all children under the age of 12 years get 400 IU of vitamin D daily (liquid or pills), and everyone over the age of 12 years get 1000 IU vitamin D daily.  It's easy to find and inexpensive, so make it a habit.  So next time you have a checkup, ask for a blood vitamin D test, because you may need to take even more if your level is very low.  And when the weather is nice enough, get 15 minutes in the sun with no sun screen a few days per week, and you can get it the natural way! 
 
 
Until next time, stay well.
 
Robert Pendergrast, MD, MPH
 

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