Last July I wrote about vitamin D and the fight to convince authorities to raise the RDA based on strong evidence of widespread deficiency. Soon after, researchers at Johns Hopkins published striking evidence that low vitamin D levels can increase our overall risk of death by an estimated 26 percent. As we head into the winter months, I thought it a good idea to revisit the issue.
When I first blogged about vitamin D I decried the lack of coverage the topic was receiving in the mainstream media. Today I have less to complain about. Stories about vitamin D, its role in health and disease and the alarmingly high new deficiency statistics (an estimated 40 percent of us don't get enough) are appearing regularly in print, online and on the tube.
Still, however, the government has done nothing. Not even a statement from the Surgeon General. In fact, the last time the OSG had anything to say about vitamin D it was 2004, when a report on bone health and osteoporosis was issued. It's an important aspect of the issue, sure, but it pales in comparison to the new research that links low levels of the vitamin to everything from heart disease to cancers and depression. The RDA remains 200-400 IU for the general population, while the research clearly shows we need much more. And there's the rub: it's obvious we need even more vitamin D than government authorities recommend, yet nearly half of us are falling short of the current, insufficient guidelines!
It's easy to increase your vitamin D levels, and I'm not simply saying this to sell supplements. Eat some oily fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna) once each week. Include eggs in your diet (free range and organic, of course) along with fortified milk or soymilk products. And don't shy away from the sun.
In the winter months, when sunlight is scarce and we're too bundled up to receive it when it is available, vitamin D levels can be a little bit tougher to maintain. That's when you might want to add a supplement or a few brief sessions of indoor tanning to your routine. Yes, there's controversy surrounding the tanning issue; but when it's done briefly with the expressed goal of stimulating vitamin D rather than browning the skin like a rotisserie chicken, tanning (or controlled UV exposure) can be safe and effective.
I recently had my vitamin D levels tested by my doctor, and I encourage you to do the same. It's the only way to know where you're at and what steps you should take to make sure you're getting enough to protect and maintain your health. Armed with the new information, I'll be using my SunSplash tanning system and taking my daily dose of cod liver oil this winter. Vitamin D might not be the answer to all that ails us, but if it's as important to our health as the evidence suggests, I'm not taking any chances--are you?
