Scientific American Article on Vitamin D

My friend Trisha at Ideas for Women, pointed out a great article on Scientific American about Vitamin D. It's a little long -- 6 pages of small type -- so you might want to print it off.

The article goes into the new studies and developments scientists are finding out about this vitamin and it is much more important than originally thought.

For many years, Vitamin D was only thought to influence bone development. But recent studies have shown that Vitamin D -- or rather the lack of it -- is actually tied to cancers, autoimmune diseases and infectious diseases. It is showing that the recommended daily allowance needs to be re-evaluated.

The article starts with a historical use of the vitamin to treat rickets and tuberculosis. It then goes into a laymen's study of what Vitamin D actually is, how it is used in the body and what the different types are. It then talks about various studies that are being done.

I think one of the most interesting things about this Vitamin is that, while it is a fat soluble vitamin, it is difficult to overdose on it. A direct quote from the article

Toxic vitamin D overdose through supplementation is certainly possible, although it is generally seen when doses of 40,000 IU or more of D have been taken daily for an extended period. Sunshine-induced vitamin D toxicity has never been observed, however. To put this in perspective, an adult woman with white skin exposed to summer sun while wearing a bikini generates about 10,000 IU of vitamin D in 15 to 20 minutes. Longer exposures do not generate higher amounts of vitamin D, because UVB light also degrades the vitamin, preventing too much of it from building up in the skin.

It is definitely worth talking to your doctor to be tested for Vitamin D deficiency. All it takes is a simple blood test, and it is estimated that 40% of people are deficient. You are at particular risk if you are Asian, African American or Hispanic -- that is, people with more pigment in the skin.

See also: Are you Vitamin D Deficient?

Popularity: 8% [?]