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WELLNESS CONNECTION · MedicalWhy is Vitamin D Important?By Philip Barr, M.D., Clinical DirectorAugust 02, 2010 - 2:30PM As a population, most of us are deficient in vitamin D. Due to pervasive lifestyle changes, sun exposure, a natural source of vitamin D, has become limited, resulting in a significant decrease in our body’s ability to manufacture vitamin D. In our practice, 90% of the patients we test are either deficient or have inadequate levels of vitamin D. If you want to know your level, 25-hydroxyvitamin D is the blood test you should request your doctor to perform. Most recently, the ideal range has been established between 40 and 60ng/ml; Dr. John Cannell, Executive Director of the Vitamin D Council, recommends a level of 50ng/ml or higher. Be aware that many labs will have designated a lower limit of 30ng/ml, so it is important to know your actual results.
Always ask for a copy of test results, check to be sure that it is within the recommended range of 40-60ng/ml and keep a copy in your medical records folder at home. This applies to any medical test that you have done; keeping a copy of your reports is important. Recent evidence shows that the benefit of taking vitamin D may also include improving resistance to infection during flu season. A general year-round recommendation is at least 2000 units of an easily absorbed supplement per day. During flu season, this may be doubled to 4000-5000 units a day. Food sources are not adequate to supply the levels of vitamin D that we need and the benefits are considerable. Vitamin D supplementation is a simple and effective way to contribute to your overall health and wellness. Rated by 3 people: |
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