Vitamin D deficiency too common in our climate

Posted: Wednesday, Dec 12, 2007 - 09:33:50 am PST

Nikki Luttmann

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For many years, Vitamin D has been a known cure for rickets, once common in young children and now rare. More recently, it has been shown to help boost calcium absorption in the body, preventing or slowing osteoporosis. Now, vitamin D deficiency has also been linked to other chronic conditions such as autoimmune disease (multiple sclerosis, for example) and even some forms of cancer.

Vitamin D, the only vitamin that is also a hormone, is made by the skin through exposure to sunlight or ingested in food or supplement form. After it enters the body, it is converted into an active hormone by the liver and kidneys to control calcium absorption. Without Vitamin D, calcium is passed through the body as waste, thus weakening our bones, teeth and muscles.

Though our bodies are efficient at making Vitamin D when exposed to the sun, there are several factors that contribute to how much of this precious vitamin we are actually absorbing. In northern climates, especially during the winter months, it is almost impossible to get all the Vitamin D our bodies need through sunlight alone.

To get the recommended amount, we would need to spend fifteen to twenty minutes several times a week outdoors with our face and arms exposed to direct sunlight (not through a window). Cloud cover, cold weather and sunscreen all contribute to making this difficult for a good portion or the year.

Also, it would be a challenge to get all the Vitamin D we need through our diet. We'd have to eat mass quantities of foods like sardines and egg yolks. So, that leaves sunshine and supplements as the best ways to get enough of this vitamin.

According to the Institute of Medicine Dietary Reference Intakes, the best way to get vitamin D is to take 1000 International Units (IUs) of Vitamin D3, the most readily absorbed form of the vitamin, in supplement form every day. Since Vitamin D is fat-soluble and can stay stored in the body indefinitely, there is a cap to how much we should take, as there's some concern that it could be harmful in large doses.

Therefore, check the Vitamin D amounts on the labels of all your supplements to make sure that you are getting just the 1000 IUs daily, and not more.

When taken with calcium, Vitamin D is good for the bone and muscle strength of men and women of all ages. And in our climate zone, it's important to be aware of how little we may be getting from the sun. Ask your physician about the new Vitamin D recommendations, and keep in mind that it is always a good idea to let your health care provider know what supplements you are taking.

• Nikki Luttmann is a community development specialist at Bonner General Hospital.