Should new vitamin D recommendations be made? According to a new study carried out at the University of California at Davis, the recommended dose of vitamin D that most experts recommend taking is too low during the winter months when there’s less direct sunlight. This conclusion was reached after a Chinese study showed that a whopping 94% of people between the ages of fifty and seventy were deficient in this vitamin. The health benefits of vitamin D are growing in number and more experts are recommending that new vitamin D recommendations be made in order to reduce the widespread deficiency that exists in this country.

Should There Be New Vitamin D Recommendations?

According to this research which was published in the Journal of Nutrition, University of California researchers believe that the recommended dose of vitamin D during the winter months should be between 2100 and 3100 International Units per day. The current recommendation is 200 International Units per day for those fifty and under, 400 International Units for men and women between fifty-one and seventy, and 600 International Units per day for those over the age of seventy. 

Why is Sun Exposure so Important?

Vitamin D deficiencies become more common in the winter months due to the lack of sun exposure. This is a problem for people who live in Northern parts of the country where the winters are long and there’s less sun exposure. Exposure to sunlight is the best source of vitamin D since good natural food sources of this vitamin are limited. Sunlight exposure causes a chemical reaction to occur on the surface of the skin that’s used by the body to manufacture vitamin D. When there’s little direct sunlight and the body is completely covered, this reaction can’t take place and vitamin D deficiency can occur.

New Vitamin D Recommendations Could Help Certain Groups

Some groups of people are more prone to vitamin D deficiency including people with dark skin and the elderly. Dark skinned and older individuals are less efficient at producing vitamin D from sunlight and require longer periods of exposure. Some experts believe that the lower levels of vitamin D seen in people with dark skin could account for their higher rate of some types of cancer.

Will the Recommended Dose of Vitamin D Be Changed?

Why are some experts reluctant to raise the recommended dose of vitamin D? Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin which means it’s not as easily eliminated from the body as water soluble vitamin such as vitamin C and the B vitamins. If large amounts of vitamin D are taken over long periods of time, there’s the risk of toxicity. According to most studies, the risk of toxicity is very low at doses of 5,000 International Units and under and it only applies to taking supplement. You can’t develop vitamin D toxicity from too much sun exposure.

The Bottom Line?

Should you take higher levels of supplemental vitamin D in the winter? For people who have dark skin, are older, or who have limited sun exposure, this may be the only way to prevent a vitamin D deficiency – particularly in light of a study showing that 94% of people between the ages of fifty-one and seventy were deficient. The best way to avoid toxicity is to have your vitamin D levels checked every six months by your doctor and to have your doctor monitor you closely if you take vitamin D supplements.

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