Re: Essentials of Vitamin D

Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2006 1:35 PM

Subject: Essentials of Vitamin D

The Essentials of Vitamin D Vitamin D is one of the most misunderstood and important nutrients for human health. What Exactly Does Vitamin D Do in Your Body?

Helps to maintain strong bones and teeth

Enhances the strength and efficiency of your immune system, which decreases your risk of developing autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus

Helps your body regulate its blood sugar levels, playing an important role in preventing type II diabetes

Helps to prevent high blood pressureThe conventional medical perspective on vitamin D is that you can get all that you need by exposing your arms and legs to sunlight for 10 minutes a day. If only it were that simple! It's true that a great source of vitamin D is sunlight. Sunlight contains ultraviolet (UV) rays that come in three different lengths: UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C. UV-B rays are the ones that are capable of producing vitamin D in your body by acting on the cholesterol found in your skin. The reason why conventional advice about getting 10 minutes of exposure to sunlight everyday is woefully simplistic is that the amount of UV-B rays that reach your skin and produce vitamin D depends on a variety of different factors, the main ones being:

Skin ColourLighter skin colour allows deeper penetration by UV-B rays, which decreases the amount of sunlight exposure needed for adequate vitamin D production. Needless to say but I'll say it anyway, the darker your skin, the harder it is for UV-B rays to penetrate it and produce vitamin D, increasing your need for sunlight exposure.

SeasonPeople living in Canada, Europe, and the lower 48 states of America receive little to no UV-B rays from early autumn to late spring.

Altitude and LatitudeThe higher you live above sea level, the greater exposure you have to UV-B rays. The higher you live above the equator, the less exposure you have to UV-B rays.

Pollution and CloudsBoth decrease the number of UV-B rays that reach you.

AgeAs people age, natural degenerative changes that occur in skin make it harder for UV-B rays to convert cholesterol to vitamin D. Elderly people typically need to rely more on food sources than sunlight for their vitamin D needs.So How Much Do You Need?The current Dietary Reference Intakes by the Institute of Medicine range from 200 to 600 IU per day depending on age, with the U.S. upper limit for vitamin D being 2,000 IU per day. Ultimately, the most responsible recommendation that I can make is to strive to take in no more than 800 IU per day without regular blood testing for vitamin D status. This number takes into account my own clinical experiences as well as the work and recommendations of Krispin Sullivan, C.N., and Reinhold Vieth, M.D., both of whom have a wealth of experience and knowledge regarding the relationship between vitamin D and human health. Here are some healthy food sources of vitamin D:

Food Sources

Serving

Vitamin D (IU)

Wild salmon, canned

3 ounces

530

Cod liver oil

1 teaspoon

400

Sardines, canned

3 ounces

231

Organic egg yolk

1 medium

25 How to Test Your Vitamin D StatusIf you plan on getting more than 800 IU of vitamin D per day, I highly recommend that you have your blood level of vitamin D monitored about once every 6 months. Ask your doctor or laboratory for the 25(OH)D test, also known as the 25-hydroxyvitamin D test. Please note that some labs do a similar test called 1-25(OH)D test, which is not as accurate a marker of your vitamin D status. If your test shows a level lower than 20 ng/ml (50 nmol/l), you have a higher than average risk for prostate and breast cancer, as well as autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.If your test shows a level higher than 70 ng/ml (175 nmol/l), you have a high risk of suffering from kidney stones, heart disease, and bone loss. Please know that while having too little vitamin D in your blood is a huge problem, having too much vitamin D in your blood can cause equally dangerous health problems.I believe that a healthy range for the vast majority of people is between 35-50 ng/ml (87.5-125 nmol/l).

Suzi

What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.

Get your email and more, right on the new .com

September 14, 2006

Also, in the US, if you are north of a certain planetary line - I

think it runs through Texas, etc - between October and April of each

year the sun isn't strong enough to help the body produce Vit. D.

At 03:52 PM 9/14/2006, you wrote:

> " The conventional medical perspective on vitamin D is that you can

>get all that you need by exposing your arms and legs to sunlight for

>10 minutes a day. If only it were that simple! "

>

>The way I understand it, you need to have your natural oils on your

>skin to make the synthesis. Our habit of daily showering or bathing

>with soap removes these oils. So no Vit D is made.

September 16, 2006

Cod liver oil, sardines, salmon, tuna,

eggs, all are good food sources of Vitamin D. Exposing some parts of your skin

to the sun without sunblock 10-15 minutes, 2 days a week will provide enough

Vitamin D for a healthy person. People of darker skin tones need to have a

slightly greater sun exposure because the melanin in their skin acts as a

natural sunblock.

I’d like to see where you read

Vitamin D being blocked by a lack of oils in the skin. Sounds interesting.

Janet

From: health [mailto:health ] On Behalf Of Gayla

Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2006

12:52 PM

http://bouncinghoofs.com/alwaysenough.html

Subject: Re:

Essentials of Vitamin D

" The conventional medical perspective on vitamin D is

that you can get all that you need by exposing your arms and legs to sunlight

for 10 minutes a day. If only it were that simple! "

The way I understand it, you need to have your natural oils

on your skin to make the synthesis. Our habit of daily showering or bathing

with soap removes these oils. So no Vit D is made.

Gayla

Always Enough Ranch

Acampo, California

Bill Barnhill is our Rainbow Example!

aeranchgmail

----- Original Message -----

From: Suzanne

Sent: Thursday,

September 14, 2006 1:35 PM

Subject:

Essentials of Vitamin D

The Essentials of Vitamin D

Vitamin D is one

of the most misunderstood and important nutrients for human health.

What Exactly Does Vitamin D Do in Your Body?

Helps to maintain strong bones and teeth

Enhances the strength and efficiency of your

immune system, which decreases your risk of developing autoimmune

conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus

Helps your body regulate its blood sugar levels,

playing an important role in preventing type II diabetes

Helps to prevent high blood pressure

The conventional medical perspective on vitamin D is that

you can get all that you need by exposing your arms and legs to sunlight for 10

minutes a day. If only it were that simple!

It's true that a great source of vitamin D is sunlight. Sunlight contains

ultraviolet (UV) rays that come in three different lengths: UV-A, UV-B, and

UV-C. UV-B rays are the ones that are capable of producing vitamin D in your

body by acting on the cholesterol found in your skin.

The reason why conventional advice about getting 10 minutes of exposure to

sunlight everyday is woefully simplistic is that the amount of UV-B rays that

reach your skin and produce vitamin D depends on a variety of different

factors, the main ones being:

Skin Colour

Lighter skin colour allows deeper penetration by UV-B rays, which

decreases the amount of sunlight exposure needed for adequate vitamin D

production. Needless to say but I'll say it anyway, the darker your skin,

the harder it is for UV-B rays to penetrate it and produce vitamin D,

increasing your need for sunlight exposure.

Season

People living in Canada,

Europe, and the lower 48 states of America receive little to no

UV-B rays from early autumn to late spring.

Altitude and

Latitude

The higher you live above sea level, the greater exposure you have to UV-B

rays. The higher you live above the equator, the less exposure you have to

UV-B rays.

Pollution and

Clouds

Both decrease the number of UV-B rays that reach you.

Age

As people age, natural degenerative changes that occur in skin make it

harder for UV-B rays to convert cholesterol to vitamin D. Elderly people

typically need to rely more on food sources than sunlight for their

vitamin D needs.

So How Much Do You

Need?

The current Dietary Reference Intakes by the Institute

of Medicine range from 200 to 600 IU

per day depending on age, with the U.S. upper limit for vitamin D

being 2,000 IU per day. Ultimately, the most responsible recommendation that I

can make is to strive to take in no more than 800 IU per day without regular

blood testing for vitamin D status. This number takes into account my own

clinical experiences as well as the work and recommendations of Krispin

Sullivan, C.N., and Reinhold Vieth, M.D., both of whom have a wealth of

experience and knowledge regarding the relationship between vitamin D and human

health.

Here are some healthy food sources of vitamin

D:

Food Sources

Serving

Vitamin

D (IU)

Wild

salmon, canned

3 ounces

530

Cod liver

oil

1 teaspoon

400

Sardines, canned

3 ounces

231

Organic

egg yolk

1 medium

25

How to Test Your Vitamin D Status

If you plan on getting more than 800 IU of vitamin D per day, I highly

recommend that you have your blood level of vitamin D monitored about once

every 6 months. Ask your doctor or laboratory for the 25(OH)D test, also known

as the 25-hydroxyvitamin D test. Please note that some labs do a similar test

called 1-25(OH)D test, which is not as accurate a marker of your vitamin D

status.

If your test shows a level lower than 20 ng/ml (50 nmol/l), you have a higher

than average risk for prostate and breast cancer, as well as autoimmune

conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

If your test shows a level higher than 70 ng/ml (175 nmol/l), you have a high

risk of suffering from kidney stones, heart disease, and bone loss. Please know

that while having too little vitamin D in your blood is a huge problem, having

too much vitamin D in your blood can cause equally dangerous health problems.

I believe that a healthy range for the vast majority of people is between 35-50

ng/ml (87.5-125 nmol/l).

Suzi

What is a

weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.

Get your email and more, right on the new

.com

September 17, 2006

Janet, re-read my post. It is not blocked by lack of oils, it takes the skin's oils to synthesize the Vit A.

Gayla Always Enough RanchAcampo, Californiahttp://bouncinghoofs.com/alwaysenough.htmlBill Barnhill is our Rainbow Example!aeranch@...

----- Original Message -----

From: Janet Hamilton

Sent: Saturday, September 16, 2006 12:29 PM

Subject: RE: Essentials of Vitamin D

Cod liver oil, sardines, salmon, tuna, eggs, all are good food sources of Vitamin D. Exposing some parts of your skin to the sun without sunblock 10-15 minutes, 2 days a week will provide enough Vitamin D for a healthy person. People of darker skin tones need to have a slightly greater sun exposure because the melanin in their skin acts as a natural sunblock.

I’d like to see where you read Vitamin D being blocked by a lack of oils in the skin. Sounds interesting.

Janet

From: health [mailto:health ] On Behalf Of Gayla Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2006 12:52 PMhealth Subject: Re: Essentials of Vitamin D

"The conventional medical perspective on vitamin D is that you can get all that you need by exposing your arms and legs to sunlight for 10 minutes a day. If only it were that simple! "

The way I understand it, you need to have your natural oils on your skin to make the synthesis. Our habit of daily showering or bathing with soap removes these oils. So no Vit D is made.

Gayla Always Enough RanchAcampo, Californiahttp://bouncinghoofs.com/alwaysenough.htmlBill Barnhill is our Rainbow Example!aeranchgmail

----- Original Message -----

From: Suzanne

Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2006 1:35 PM

Subject: Essentials of Vitamin D

The Essentials of Vitamin D

Vitamin D is one of the most misunderstood and important nutrients for human health. What Exactly Does Vitamin D Do in Your Body?

Helps to maintain strong bones and teeth Enhances the strength and efficiency of your immune system, which decreases your risk of developing autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus Helps your body regulate its blood sugar levels, playing an important role in preventing type II diabetes Helps to prevent high blood pressure

The conventional medical perspective on vitamin D is that you can get all that you need by exposing your arms and legs to sunlight for 10 minutes a day. If only it were that simple! It's true that a great source of vitamin D is sunlight. Sunlight contains ultraviolet (UV) rays that come in three different lengths: UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C. UV-B rays are the ones that are capable of producing vitamin D in your body by acting on the cholesterol found in your skin. The reason why conventional advice about getting 10 minutes of exposure to sunlight everyday is woefully simplistic is that the amount of UV-B rays that reach your skin and produce vitamin D depends on a variety of different factors, the main ones being:

Skin ColourLighter skin colour allows deeper penetration by UV-B rays, which decreases the amount of sunlight exposure needed for adequate vitamin D production. Needless to say but I'll say it anyway, the darker your skin, the harder it is for UV-B rays to penetrate it and produce vitamin D, increasing your need for sunlight exposure. SeasonPeople living in Canada, Europe, and the lower 48 states of America receive little to no UV-B rays from early autumn to late spring. Altitude and LatitudeThe higher you live above sea level, the greater exposure you have to UV-B rays. The higher you live above the equator, the less exposure you have to UV-B rays. Pollution and CloudsBoth decrease the number of UV-B rays that reach you. AgeAs people age, natural degenerative changes that occur in skin make it harder for UV-B rays to convert cholesterol to vitamin D. Elderly people typically need to rely more on food sources than sunlight for their vitamin D needs.

So How Much Do You Need?The current Dietary Reference Intakes by the Institute of Medicine range from 200 to 600 IU per day depending on age, with the U.S. upper limit for vitamin D being 2,000 IU per day. Ultimately, the most responsible recommendation that I can make is to strive to take in no more than 800 IU per day without regular blood testing for vitamin D status. This number takes into account my own clinical experiences as well as the work and recommendations of Krispin Sullivan, C.N., and Reinhold Vieth, M.D., both of whom have a wealth of experience and knowledge regarding the relationship between vitamin D and human health. Here are some healthy food sources of vitamin D:

Food Sources

Serving

Vitamin D (IU)

Wild salmon, canned

3 ounces

530

Cod liver oil

1 teaspoon

400

Sardines, canned

3 ounces

231

Organic egg yolk

1 medium

25

How to Test Your Vitamin D StatusIf you plan on getting more than 800 IU of vitamin D per day, I highly recommend that you have your blood level of vitamin D monitored about once every 6 months. Ask your doctor or laboratory for the 25(OH)D test, also known as the 25-hydroxyvitamin D test. Please note that some labs do a similar test called 1-25(OH)D test, which is not as accurate a marker of your vitamin D status. If your test shows a level lower than 20 ng/ml (50 nmol/l), you have a higher than average risk for prostate and breast cancer, as well as autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.If your test shows a level higher than 70 ng/ml (175 nmol/l), you have a high risk of suffering from kidney stones, heart disease, and bone loss. Please know that while having too little vitamin D in your blood is a huge problem, having too much vitamin D in your blood can cause equally dangerous health problems.I believe that a healthy range for the vast majority of people is between 35-50 ng/ml (87.5-125 nmol/l).

Suzi

What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.

Get your email and more, right on the new .com

September 17, 2006

Vitamin D and Vitamin A are fat soluble

vitamins. I’ve just never seen a study linking daily washing to decreased

uptake…

Janet

From: health [mailto:health ] On Behalf Of Gayla

Sent: Saturday, September 16, 2006

5:57 PM

http://bouncinghoofs.com/alwaysenough.html

Subject: Re:

Essentials of Vitamin D

Janet, re-read my post.

It is not blocked by lack of oils, it takes the skin's oils to synthesize the

Vit A.

Gayla

Always Enough Ranch

Acampo, California

Bill Barnhill is our Rainbow Example!

aeranchgmail

----- Original Message -----

From: Janet

Hamilton

Sent: Saturday,

September 16, 2006 12:29 PM

Subject: RE:

Essentials of Vitamin D

Cod liver oil, sardines, salmon, tuna, eggs, all are good food

sources of Vitamin D. Exposing some parts of your skin to the sun without

sunblock 10-15 minutes, 2 days a week will provide enough Vitamin D for a

healthy person. People of darker skin tones need to have a slightly greater sun

exposure because the melanin in their skin acts as a natural sunblock.

I’d like to see where you read Vitamin D being blocked by a

lack of oils in the skin. Sounds interesting.

Janet

From: health

[mailto:health ]

On Behalf Of Gayla

Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2006

12:52 PM

http://bouncinghoofs.com/alwaysenough.html

Subject: Re:

Essentials of Vitamin D

" The

conventional medical perspective on vitamin D is that you can get all that you

need by exposing your arms and legs to sunlight for 10 minutes a day. If only

it were that simple! "

The way I

understand it, you need to have your natural oils on your skin to make the

synthesis. Our habit of daily showering or bathing with soap removes these

oils. So no Vit D is made.

Gayla

Always Enough Ranch

Acampo, California

Bill Barnhill is our Rainbow Example!

aeranchgmail

-----

Original Message -----

From: Suzanne

Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2006 1:35 PM

Subject: Essentials of Vitamin D

The

Essentials of Vitamin D

Vitamin D is one

of the most misunderstood and important nutrients for human health.

What Exactly Does Vitamin D Do in Your Body?

Helps to maintain strong bones and teeth

Enhances the strength and efficiency of your

immune system, which decreases your risk of developing autoimmune

conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus

Helps your body regulate its blood sugar levels,

playing an important role in preventing type II diabetes

Helps to prevent high blood pressure

The

conventional medical perspective on vitamin D is that you can get all that you

need by exposing your arms and legs to sunlight for 10 minutes a day. If only

it were that simple!

It's true that a great source of vitamin D is sunlight. Sunlight contains

ultraviolet (UV) rays that come in three different lengths: UV-A, UV-B, and

UV-C. UV-B rays are the ones that are capable of producing vitamin D in your

body by acting on the cholesterol found in your skin.

The reason why conventional advice about getting 10 minutes of exposure to

sunlight everyday is woefully simplistic is that the amount of UV-B rays that

reach your skin and produce vitamin D depends on a variety of different

factors, the main ones being:

Skin Colour

Lighter skin colour allows deeper penetration by UV-B rays, which

decreases the amount of sunlight exposure needed for adequate vitamin D

production. Needless to say but I'll say it anyway, the darker your skin,

the harder it is for UV-B rays to penetrate it and produce vitamin D,

increasing your need for sunlight exposure.

Season

People living in Canada,

Europe, and the lower 48 states of America receive

little to no UV-B rays from early autumn to late spring.

Altitude and

Latitude

The higher you live above sea level, the greater exposure you have to UV-B

rays. The higher you live above the equator, the less exposure you have to

UV-B rays.

Pollution and

Clouds

Both decrease the number of UV-B rays that reach you.

Age

As people age, natural degenerative changes that occur in skin make it

harder for UV-B rays to convert cholesterol to vitamin D. Elderly people

typically need to rely more on food sources than sunlight for their

vitamin D needs.

So How Much Do You Need?

The current Dietary Reference Intakes by the Institute

of Medicine range from 200

to 600 IU per day depending on age, with the U.S.

upper limit for vitamin D being 2,000 IU per day. Ultimately, the most

responsible recommendation that I can make is to strive to take in no more than

800 IU per day without regular blood testing for vitamin D status. This number

takes into account my own clinical experiences as well as the work and

recommendations of Krispin Sullivan, C.N., and Reinhold Vieth, M.D., both of

whom have a wealth of experience and knowledge regarding the relationship

between vitamin D and human health.

Here are some healthy food sources of vitamin

D:

Food Sources

Serving

Vitamin D (IU)

Wild salmon, canned

3 ounces

530

Cod liver oil

1 teaspoon

400

Sardines,

canned

3 ounces

231

Organic egg yolk

1 medium

25

How to Test Your Vitamin D Status

If you plan on getting more than 800 IU of vitamin D per day, I highly

recommend that you have your blood level of vitamin D monitored about once

every 6 months. Ask your doctor or laboratory for the 25(OH)D test, also known

as the 25-hydroxyvitamin D test. Please note that some labs do a similar test

called 1-25(OH)D test, which is not as accurate a marker of your vitamin D

status.

If your test shows a level lower than 20 ng/ml (50 nmol/l), you have a higher

than average risk for prostate and breast cancer, as well as autoimmune

conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

If your test shows a level higher than 70 ng/ml (175 nmol/l), you have a high

risk of suffering from kidney stones, heart disease, and bone loss. Please know

that while having too little vitamin D in your blood is a huge problem, having

too much vitamin D in your blood can cause equally dangerous health problems.

I believe that a healthy range for the vast majority of people is between 35-50

ng/ml (87.5-125 nmol/l).

Suzi

What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been

discovered.

Get your email and

more, right on the new

.com

September 17, 2006

I can't quote the source, but it has stuck in my mind. Perhaps I am remembering wrong. Yes A and D are fat soluble vitamins. The study said that the oils on our skins help the body synthesize the Vit A. So washing them off, as we "modern" folk are apt to do, decreases the Vit A your body can make.

Gayla Always Enough RanchAcampo, Californiahttp://bouncinghoofs.com/alwaysenough.htmlBill Barnhill is our Rainbow Example!aeranch@...

----- Original Message -----

From: Janet Hamilton

Sent: Sunday, September 17, 2006 11:07 AM

Subject: RE: Essentials of Vitamin D

Vitamin D and Vitamin A are fat soluble vitamins. I’ve just never seen a study linking daily washing to decreased uptake…

Janet

From: health [mailto:health ] On Behalf Of Gayla Sent: Saturday, September 16, 2006 5:57 PMhealth Subject: Re: Essentials of Vitamin D

Janet, re-read my post. It is not blocked by lack of oils, it takes the skin's oils to synthesize the Vit A.

Gayla Always Enough RanchAcampo, Californiahttp://bouncinghoofs.com/alwaysenough.htmlBill Barnhill is our Rainbow Example!aeranchgmail

----- Original Message -----

From: Janet Hamilton

Sent: Saturday, September 16, 2006 12:29 PM

Subject: RE: Essentials of Vitamin D

Cod liver oil, sardines, salmon, tuna, eggs, all are good food sources of Vitamin D. Exposing some parts of your skin to the sun without sunblock 10-15 minutes, 2 days a week will provide enough Vitamin D for a healthy person. People of darker skin tones need to have a slightly greater sun exposure because the melanin in their skin acts as a natural sunblock.

I’d like to see where you read Vitamin D being blocked by a lack of oils in the skin. Sounds interesting.

Janet

From: health [mailto:health ] On Behalf Of Gayla Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2006 12:52 PMhealth Subject: Re: Essentials of Vitamin D

"The conventional medical perspective on vitamin D is that you can get all that you need by exposing your arms and legs to sunlight for 10 minutes a day. If only it were that simple! "

The way I understand it, you need to have your natural oils on your skin to make the synthesis. Our habit of daily showering or bathing with soap removes these oils. So no Vit D is made.

Gayla Always Enough RanchAcampo, Californiahttp://bouncinghoofs.com/alwaysenough.htmlBill Barnhill is our Rainbow Example!aeranchgmail

----- Original Message -----

From: Suzanne

Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2006 1:35 PM

Subject: Essentials of Vitamin D

The Essentials of Vitamin D

Vitamin D is one of the most misunderstood and important nutrients for human health. What Exactly Does Vitamin D Do in Your Body?

Helps to maintain strong bones and teeth

Enhances the strength and efficiency of your immune system, which decreases your risk of developing autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus

Helps your body regulate its blood sugar levels, playing an important role in preventing type II diabetes

Helps to prevent high blood pressure

The conventional medical perspective on vitamin D is that you can get all that you need by exposing your arms and legs to sunlight for 10 minutes a day. If only it were that simple! It's true that a great source of vitamin D is sunlight. Sunlight contains ultraviolet (UV) rays that come in three different lengths: UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C. UV-B rays are the ones that are capable of producing vitamin D in your body by acting on the cholesterol found in your skin. The reason why conventional advice about getting 10 minutes of exposure to sunlight everyday is woefully simplistic is that the amount of UV-B rays that reach your skin and produce vitamin D depends on a variety of different factors, the main ones being:

Skin ColourLighter skin colour allows deeper penetration by UV-B rays, which decreases the amount of sunlight exposure needed for adequate vitamin D production. Needless to say but I'll say it anyway, the darker your skin, the harder it is for UV-B rays to penetrate it and produce vitamin D, increasing your need for sunlight exposure.

SeasonPeople living in Canada, Europe, and the lower 48 states of America receive little to no UV-B rays from early autumn to late spring.

Altitude and LatitudeThe higher you live above sea level, the greater exposure you have to UV-B rays. The higher you live above the equator, the less exposure you have to UV-B rays.

Pollution and CloudsBoth decrease the number of UV-B rays that reach you.

AgeAs people age, natural degenerative changes that occur in skin make it harder for UV-B rays to convert cholesterol to vitamin D. Elderly people typically need to rely more on food sources than sunlight for their vitamin D needs.

So How Much Do You Need?The current Dietary Reference Intakes by the Institute of Medicine range from 200 to 600 IU per day depending on age, with the U.S. upper limit for vitamin D being 2,000 IU per day. Ultimately, the most responsible recommendation that I can make is to strive to take in no more than 800 IU per day without regular blood testing for vitamin D status. This number takes into account my own clinical experiences as well as the work and recommendations of Krispin Sullivan, C.N., and Reinhold Vieth, M.D., both of whom have a wealth of experience and knowledge regarding the relationship between vitamin D and human health. Here are some healthy food sources of vitamin D:

Food Sources

Serving

Vitamin D (IU)

Wild salmon, canned

3 ounces

530

Cod liver oil

1 teaspoon

400

Sardines, canned

3 ounces

231

Organic egg yolk

1 medium

25

How to Test Your Vitamin D StatusIf you plan on getting more than 800 IU of vitamin D per day, I highly recommend that you have your blood level of vitamin D monitored about once every 6 months. Ask your doctor or laboratory for the 25(OH)D test, also known as the 25-hydroxyvitamin D test. Please note that some labs do a similar test called 1-25(OH)D test, which is not as accurate a marker of your vitamin D status. If your test shows a level lower than 20 ng/ml (50 nmol/l), you have a higher than average risk for prostate and breast cancer, as well as autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.If your test shows a level higher than 70 ng/ml (175 nmol/l), you have a high risk of suffering from kidney stones, heart disease, and bone loss. Please know that while having too little vitamin D in your blood is a huge problem, having too much vitamin D in your blood can cause equally dangerous health problems.I believe that a healthy range for the vast majority of people is between 35-50 ng/ml (87.5-125 nmol/l).

Suzi

What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.