The American Academy of Pediatrics has doubled the recommended daily dose of vitamin D for children and teens up to 400 units per day, which is equivalent to drinking four cups of milk.
Vitamin D has been receiving great press and has been fortified in milk since 1933 for the prevention of rickets. Estimates are that 60,000 cases of colon cancer and 85,000 cases of breast cancer could be prevented every year in the U.S. for those who maintain a vitamin D level of at least 55 ng/mL. Vitamin D improves muscle strength and is necessary for the effective absorption of dietary calcium, which becomes deposited in bones and teeth.
Individual vitamin D requirements depend on your age and your amount of sunlight exposure. The older adult (over 70) recommendation is 600 IU a day, in addition to modest sun exposure, but adults can take up to 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily, which is the “tolerable upper intake level” set by U.S. health standards. New research indicates that teens with the lowest vitamin D levels are more than twice as likely to have high blood pressure and high blood sugar, which sets them up for hypertension and diabetes.
Teens in the study were also four times more likely to have a dangerous condition called “metabolic syndrome.”
However, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health reminds us that these are “strong associations” and not proof of causality. Experts say that getting about 15 minutes of sunlight exposure a few times a week is generally enough and point out that vitamin D is found in fatty fish like salmon and is added to milk.
Other studies suggest that it helps lower blood pressure, reduces inflammation and boosts the immune system. Additionally, vitamin D3 supplementation has been linked to lower risks of cancer, arthritis, tuberculosis and diabetes. Patients with higher vitamin D3 levels appear to have lower rates of breast, colon, ovarian, prostate, pancreatic and lymphomatous cancers.
My research indicates that vitamin D3 has such wide ranging beneficial effects because of its strong prooxidant activity (www.iwillfindthecure.org).
In the America that I love, we welcome medical news which offers preventative measures for major health problems such as hypertension, cancer and diabetes.
Currently, increasing vitamin D levels seems to be one such measure. More importantly, it has minimal downside and adverse effects, although over-dosage can carry health hazards. As always, check with your physician regarding questions. Please remember, “Treat your body like it belongs to you.”