Vitamin D: New Higher Intake Recommendations

New Recommendations for Vitamin D – Intake 10 times as high.Highlights:

• New Recommended Minimum Blood Levels 2.5 Times as High as current Institute of Medicine (IOM) Recommendations
• Intake 10 Times as High – 4,000 IU, more for individuals with BMI over 30, or with low sun exposure.

DISCUSSION There is growing agreement among nutrition researchers that:

• 1. Three important organizations including the Endocrine Society say current IOM recommendations for Vitamin D blood levels are too low, and should be raised
• 2. Recommended intake of Vitamin D should be increased

The recommendations of 3 organizations, the American Gerontological Society, The Endocrine Society, and the International Osteoporosis Foundation all support an increase in minimum blood levels to 2.5 times current recommendations of the Institute of Medicine:

• From: 12 ng/mL
• To: 30 ng/mL

To achieve those levels, the recommended intake for all ages is 4,000 IU. That is 10 times the current Institute of Medicine recommended Daily Value of 400 IU. The lower IOM recommendations are focused only on bone health, while these newer recommendations are focused on a broader set of benefits. For individuals with BMI over 30, it is particularly important to be tested regular.

OUR COMMENTS For most adults, 4,000 to 5,000 IU supplementation per day is warranted. (There is no research about negative effects for dosages of 10,000 or less.) Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin. True Vitamin D is never water soluble. For your body to absorb Vitamin D, you also need to consume food or a beverage that contains at least a small amount of fat – at about the same time. Questions?

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