All You Need to Know About Vitamin D

If you live in a sun-less climate you’ve probably been told “Get your vitamin D!”

There’s a reason for that.

Our bodies need the sun to produce vitamin D, and we need vitamin D to support various parts of our bodies, from our bones to our brain.

When our bodies don’t make or get enough vitamin D, we are at higher risk of breaking our bones or developing osteoporosis, mood issues, and developing certain cancers. Children who do not get enough vitamin D have an increased likelihood of developing rickets, a condition that causes weak bones, bowed legs and stunted growth.

Vitamin D deficiency is a common condition that affects over 40 percent of Americans.

Fortunately, if you live in an area where the sun is a stranger, you can get your vitamin D through certain foods or supplements. In this article, we’ll get into the nitty gritty of how to best get your vitamin D and why too much vitamin D might not be so great for you.

How much Vitamin D is recommended?

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The Food and Nutrition Board recommends that individuals between the ages of 1-70 and pregnant and breastfeeding women should get around 600 IU a day. Children under 1 year of age should get 400 IU, while adults over 70 should get 800 IU. If you’re fortunate to live in a sunny spot and get at least 30 minutes of sun a day, you’re getting around 10,000-20,000 IUs of vitamin D! Unlike supplements, you cannot get too much vitamin D from the sun (more on that soon). Just remember: Make sure to practice sun safety. According to SkinCancer.org, “clinical studies have never found that everyday sunscreen use leads to vitamin D insufficiency.”

How do I get my vitamin D besides the sun?

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If the sun isn’t an option for you, there are many foods with naturally occurring or added vitamin D.

The most common food with the highest levels of vitamin D is fish. Here are some of your best bets: Salmon Swordfish Sturgeon Trout Whitefish Mackerel Tuna Halibut Herring Sardines

As for common foods with vitamin D added, here are some great options:

Yogurt Milk Eggs Cereal

* Orange juice

If you eat an egg for breakfast with a glass of vitamin D-fortified orange juice AND 3 ounces of salmon for dinner, you’re taking in roughly 600 IUs of vitamin D that day—roughly your daily recommendation. And like the sun, it’s unlikely you’ll get TOO much vitamin D from food.

If fish isn’t your thing and it’s tough to keep up with vitamin D fortified foods, supplements are also an easy way to get your daily requirement. However, this is where things can get a little tricky.

Supplements typically offer more IUs than usually needed, offering anywhere from 1,000 to 50,000 IUs per dose. Typically, up to 4,000 IU each day is considered safe. While many people take these supplements in hopes of extra health benefits (or maybe they don’t even realize how much they’re taking), there are risks of having _too_ much Vitamin D in your body.

Too much vitamin D is not a good thing:

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Unlike vitamin C, which is a water-soluble vitamin that gets carried out through your urine, vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that gets stored in your fat. If you take too much vitamin D, and we’re talking A LOT over a long period of time, you run the risk of developing vitamin D toxicity, or hypervitaminosis D. Vitamin D toxicity can cause calcium to build up in your blood (hypercalcemia) and lead to kidney stones and kidney injury, thirstiness, nausea, throwing up, diarrhea, constipation, muscle cramps, osteoporosis, mood issues, and abnormal heart rhythms. Vitamin D toxicity is rare, but if you’re taking large doses of vitamin D without medical supervision, it might be worth mentioning something to your primary care physician.

Too little vitamin D is not a good thing either:

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As mentioned above, a vitamin D deficiency can cause problems with bone health and moods. According to Medline Plus, which is under the National Institutes of Health, vitamin D deficiency might also play a role in conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer and autoimmune disorders. However, research is still ongoing. Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include fatigue, hair loss, bone pain, muscle pain, and depression. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, it might be worth talking to your primary care physician.

To sum it up:

Vitamin D is a great way to support bone health, mood, and heart. The best way to get vitamin D is through the sun (if you can) or foods such as salmon, sardines, milk, yogurt, OJ or cereal. You can also get your vitamin D through supplements, but just be mindful of how much you take.