Vitamin D—the Sunshine Vitamin

      

  Kara Ryan, Department of Public Heath

 

Kara Ryan is a Nutrition Education Specialist at DPH

Vitamin D has been getting a lot of press lately.  There has been news about people not getting enough of it, as well as suggestions for increasing daily intake.  The problem is that it isn’t the easiest vitamin to find.

You see, vitamin D isn’t naturally found in many foods.  The best source of vitamin D is actually sunlight!  But we also need to protect our skin for the harmful effects of the sun, so what is one to do?

In the 1930s, vitamin D deficiencies became a real health problem.  There were a number of children diagnosed with rickets and adults with osteomalacia (the adult form of rickets).  Vitamin D helps with calcium absorption, builds bones, and keeps them strong.  So when kids don’t get enough,  it can lead to poor bone growth.  When adults don’t get enough, it can lead to soft, brittle bones.  To help with this problem, the milk makers started adding vitamin D to their product, and it really helped with the problem.

Recently rickets has been back in the news.  And there are new findings that not getting enough vitamin D can lead to certain forms of cancer and is linked to multiple sclerosis.  We can’t say for certain why people aren’t getting enough vitamin D as of late, but we know one for sure, we are more protective of our skin…and protecting our skin from the sun blocks the best source of the vitamin!

But there are other sources of this vitamin.  Vitamin D is naturally found in fatty fish—
especially salmon, tuna, and mackerel.  It is also naturally found in egg yolks.  Since the milk fortification program of the 1930s, other foods have been fortified with vitamin D like some cereals, yogurts, processed cheeses, and some brands of orange juice. 

Although nothing beats vitamin D in its natural form, when in doubt, you can obtain vitamin D through a supplement.  Most multivitamins contain the recommended daily amount (400 IU). 

With all of the health benefits that vitamin D provides for our bodies, it is important to get enough of it.  How do you plan to get your daily dose?  We’d love to hear from you!

Comments

[Jim Farmington]

Milk has a lot of vitamin D but as i grew older I lost my taste for it except on cereal. I guess you mean that sushi is good for you too. I love sushi and also grill tuna or salmon often at home. Thanks for the tip.