Vitamin D supplements better than Sunshine

Dr. Barbara A. Gilchrest of the Boston University of Medicine co-author of a comprehensive review on vitamin D says, "you do not have to put yourself at increased risk of skin cancer and photoaging." Dr Gilchrest goes on to say, "Vitamin D is very safe to take in the form of oral supplements."

I am asked at least once a week on the safety of taking vitamin D and the potential of vitamin D toxicity. According to the National Institute for Health, the upper limit for vitamin D is about 2000iu per day. This is five times the normal amount found in multivitamins and in most vitamin D supplements. Yes, vitamin D is a fatty vitamin that the body does store, but it is also metabolized in various body processes and needs to be replaced.

An excellent primer on vitamin D can be at this web site:

http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/endocrine/otherendo/
vitamind.html

What is also interesting is that most of the vitamin D deficiencies are actually found in very sunny climates like the middle east and in the American southwest. This is due to either cultural norms or the use of sun screen with spf 8. An sun screen with an spf 8 or higher will block all synthesis of vitamin D in the skin. This is usually not a problem because most foods are enriched with vitamin D. This is a problem for people with a poor diet or a damaged liver and/or kidney where the provitamin D cannot be synthesized to the active form.

Thanks for spending a part of your day here with me,

James