The Vitamin You May Be Missing!
by Dr. Samar S. Shehaiber
Chiropractic Physician and Certified Acupuncturist
It is known as the “Sunshine Vitamin”, Vitamin D. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in very few foods, and is available as a dietary supplement.
Vitamin D is not sufficient in dietary sources; therefore supplementing it with natural sunlight or supplementations is needed for accurate dosing. In foods, vitamin D is present in:
|
Food
|
IUs per serving*
|
Percent DV**
|
|
Cod liver oil, 1 tablespoon
|
1,360
|
340
|
|
Mushrooms, enriched with vitamin D, 3 ounces
|
400
|
100
|
|
Salmon, cooked, 3.5 ounces
|
360
|
90
|
|
Mackerel, cooked, 3.5 ounces
|
345
|
86
|
|
Sardines, canned in oil, drained, 1.75 ounces
|
250
|
63
|
|
Tuna fish, canned in oil, 3 ounces
|
200
|
50
|
|
Orange juice fortified with vitamin D, 1 cup (check product labels, as amount of added vitamin D varies)
|
142
|
36
|
|
Milk, nonfat, reduced fat, and whole, vitamin D-fortified, 1 cup
|
98
|
25
|
|
Yogurt, fortified with 20% of the DV for vitamin D, 6 ounces (more heavily fortified yogurts provide more of the DV)
|
80
|
20
|
|
Margarine, fortified, 1 tablespoon
|
60
|
15
|
|
Ready-to-eat cereal, fortified with 10% of the DV for vitamin D, 0.75-1 cup (more heavily fortified cereals might provide more of the DV)
|
40
|
10
|
|
Egg, 1 whole (vitamin D is found in yolk)
|
20
|
5
|
|
Liver, beef, cooked, 3.5 ounces
|
15
|
4
|
|
Cheese, Swiss, 1 ounce
|
12
|
3
|
*IUs = International Units.
**DV = Daily Value.
Very few foods in nature contain vitamin D. The flesh of fish (such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel) and fish liver oils are among the best sources. Small amounts of vitamin D are found in beef liver, cheese, and egg yolks.
Fortified foods provide most of the vitamin D in the American diet. For example, almost all of the U.S. milk supply is fortified with 100 IU/cup of vitamin D. Other dairy products made from milk, such as cheese and ice cream, are generally not fortified. Ready-to-eat breakfast cereals often contain added vitamin D, as do some brands of orange juice, yogurt, and margarine. In the United States, foods allowed to be fortified with vitamin D include cereal flours and related products, milk and products made from milk, and calcium-fortified fruit juices and drinks. Maximum levels of added vitamin D are specified by law.
Vitamin D deficiency is now recognized as an epidemic in the United States. The major source of vitamin D for both children and adults is from sensible sun exposure. Up to 75% of Americans seem to not be getting enough of this vitamin according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Moderation of sunlight is integral to absorb the necessary requirement of vitamin D. Seeking 5-10 min of sunlight daily with sun protection from the hours of 10am to 3pm helps the necessary absorption of vitamin D needed to supplement the body.
With the new dilemma of H1N1 flu epidemic, Vitamin D has become a hot topic of interest in recent months. Its impact on the immune system is astounding. It has the benefits of preventing and treating chronic diseases. The Institute of Medicine is likely to increase the requirements of Vitamin D based on these recent findings.
Vitamin D also has many health benefits such as boosting bone strength, warding off diabetes, promoting weight loss, preventing gum disease, helping with fighting multiple sclerosis and osteoporosis, cancers, and heart disease.
For heart disease and osteoporosis prevention a daily intake of at least 1,000 IU for adults between the ages of 50-70, and 400 IU for those under the age of 50. The limit set in 1997, is 2,000 IU, which will probably increase now due to demand.
Vitamin D also has great potential to reverse insulin resistance and prevent type II diabetes.
It was found that taking >800 IU with 1200 mg of Calcium or more to have a relative decreased risk of diabetes in women with metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and frank diabetes. Vitamin D is also essential for promoting calcium absorption in the gut and maintaining adequate serum calcium needed for bone growth and bone remodeling. Without sufficient vitamin D, bones can become thin, brittle, or misshapen. Vitamin D sufficiency prevents rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. Together with calcium, vitamin D also helps protect older adults from osteoporosis.
Daily Intake based on Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) developed by the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) at the Institute of Medicine of The National Academies:
|
Age
|
Children
|
Men
|
Women
|
Pregnancy
|
Lactation
|
|
Birth to 13 years
|
5 mcg
(200 IU)
|
|
|
|
|
|
14-18 years
|
|
5 mcg
(200 IU)
|
5 mcg
(200 IU)
|
5 mcg
(200 IU)
|
5 mcg
(200 IU)
|
|
19-50 years
|
|
5 mcg
(200 IU)
|
5 mcg
(200 IU)
|
5 mcg
(200 IU)
|
5 mcg
(200 IU)
|
|
51-70 years
|
|
10 mcg
(400 IU)
|
10 mcg
(400 IU)
|
|
|
|
71+ years
|
|
15 mcg
(600 IU)
|
15 mcg
(600 IU)
|
|
|
Therefore do not skimp on this important vitamin and get your daily dosing needed for overall health and wellness.
Center for Disease Control
Holick, MF. The Vitamin D Epidemic and its Health Consequences. Journal of Nutrition. 2005 Nov; 135(11):2739S-48S.
Holistic Primary Care, Vol. 10 No. 3, pg. 1, 5.
Institute of Medicine
National Institute of Health
Pizzorno Jr. J., Murray M., and Joiner-Bey H. The Clinicians Handbook of Natural Medicine, second edition.