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Research finds higher levels needed of vitamin D
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by Rebekah Feemster
Dietetic Intern
If you take interest in the world of current nutrition research, or
even just watch the evening news, there is a good chance you’ve heard
something about vitamin D and calcium in relation to bone health. This
may seem like old news, but new research is showing previously
recommended intake levels of these nutrients to be inadequate. This is
especially important considering 55 percent of Americans age 50
and older already have osteoporosis or have low bone mass, placing them
at increased risk for developing the disease, according to the National
Osteoporosis Foundation.
In the past, vitamin D has been ignored in conversations about
osteoporosis, despite its critical role in calcium absorption. Now, the
public eye has shifted to vitamin D reference intakes. Current
recommendations are 200 IU/day for adults age 19-50 and 400 IU/day for
adults age 51-70. However, the latest research is showing that amounts
of up to 2,000 IU a day may be beneficial in helping decrease risk of
osteoporosis.
While your body actually makes its own vitamin D from sunlight; other
factors such as age, skin tone, geographic location and amount of sun
exposure affect how much your body makes. The use of sunscreen also
significantly decreases the body’s ability to produce vitamin D.
Because of a fear of increased cancer risk from sunlight and the
resulting increase of sunscreen, many people are not obtaining optimum
vitamin D from the sun. While vitamin D is found in small amounts in
foods such as some fish, egg yolks, and liver, and is fortified into
other products such as milk, orange juice, and cereals, the amount of
vitamin D in foods is not enough to meet one’s needs. Thus, research is
finding the majority of people require supplementation.
It is important not to neglect what we also know about calcium in this
recent vitamin D hype. Getting enough calcium, whether through diet or
supple-mentation, is crucial for good bone health. When your body does
not get enough calcium from what you eat, it withdraws the calcium it
needs from your bones, making them more porous and less dense, and
therefore, more likely to break. Current calcium recommendations are
1,000 mg/day for adults age 19-50 and 1,200 mg/day for people over age
50. This can be met by consuming three to four servings of dairy per
day (8 ounces of milk/yogurt or 1.5 ounces of cheese are considered one
serving). Since your body can typically only absorb about 500-600 mg of
calcium at a time, it is best to spread calcium intake throughout the
day.
In today’s food supply, fortification (the addition of one or more
nutrients to a food to increase its nutritional value), has become
quite common. Several foods are fortified with calcium and vitamin D,
making it even easier for us to increase our consumption of these
nutrients. All milk is fortified with about 25 percent of your daily
value of vitamin D, and contains 30 percent of your daily calcium.
Several orange juice brands add calcium and vitamin D to some of their
products, including Florida’s Natural, Tropicana, and Minute Maid.
Yogurt brands such as Yoplait, Breyer’s, Stoneyfield and Dannon offer
fortified products. Even Shedd’s Country Crock Spread now offers a
calcium plus vitamin D version. There are many options to choose from.
Just be sure to check your nutrition facts label to see if products
contain the calcium and vitamin D that you’re looking for.
So what are you waiting for? Take the health of your bones into your
own hands. Take the initiative to consume three to four servings of
dairy each day, gets adequate sunlight, and ask your doctor about
supplementation. Also, be sure to watch for the official report of
updated vitamin D recommendations coming out in May so that you can be
equipped to maximize the potential of your bone growth and preserve and
improve your current bone health.
Friday, March 12, 2010
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