Vitamin D: What’s all the fuss about?

Submitted by Lori Granich, RD, Clinical Dietitian at the Midwest Bariatric Institute

You may have wondered why your doctor tested your vitamin D level at your last checkup or even suggested you start supplementing. Why is there so much concern about Vitamin D lately?

With the overabundance of food in this country, you may be surprised that Americans would be lacking anything, but studies have shown that 75 percent of Americans have insufficient vitamin D levels (The Archives of Internal Medicine). The normal vitamin D range is 30 to 74 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL).

Photo Courtesy of ADAM Total Health

In Northwest Indiana, we are at even greater risk for deficiency. We can only get enough sun in the summer months to produce the amount of vitamin D we need. Also, people who carry excess weight have an increased risk of vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin meaning it is stored in fat tissue. When a person has excess fat stores, vitamin D ends up being stored instead of circulating through the bloodstream. Even more troubling, people with a well-balanced diet are still falling short. To meet requirements, adult’s ages 19-50 need to consume 27 ounces of milk or fortified dairy products daily. (Spano, 2012)

So why should we be concerned about vitamin D?

Vitamin D plays a large role in bone health. We lose bone mass as we age and even more rapidly in women during the postmenopausal years. When we lack vitamin D, we are not able to absorb calcium properly. Vitamin D also plays a role in breast and colon health, and promotes proper functioning of our nervous and immune systems. Having adequate amounts of vitamin D is essential for our overall health.

Vitamin D can be found in the following foods: Fortified milk, cheese, oysters, salmon, trout, sardines, tuna, fortified cereal, liver, and egg yolks.

There are many reasons why Americans are lacking vitamin D: geographic location, season, age (elderly adults are more at risk for deficiency) and skin color (darker colored skin protects from UV light). The easiest way to find out if you are getting enough vitamin D is to have your doctor test your level. If needed, your doctor will instruct you to take additional vitamin D though a supplement.

For more information on Vitamin D, visit our Online Health Library at franciscanalliance.org.

References:

• Spano, M. (2012) Are you Getting Enough Vitamin D? Your Weight Matters Magazine. Pp.14-17.
• American Dietetic Association