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VITAMIN D: ESSENTIAL INTAKESo many benefits….so chronically deficient!
By Dr Nigel Plummer
Dr Plummer lectures extensively around the world especially North America and Europe to Doctors and members of the public on all aspects of nutrition and the contribution diet and lifestyle makes to health and disease.
A surge of new scientific studies have provided unchallenged evidence of the profound effects that vitamin D has on a whole range of chronic diseases. Moreover, this research also indicates that the general population is chronically deficient in Vitamin D and that recommended intakes have been woefully inadequate to provide optimum status.
Evaluation of all types of epidemiological and intervention-based studies now provides unequivocal evidence for the role of vitamin D in helping to lower the risk of developing virtually all types of chronic disease.
Click here to download Evolution, Activity and Vitamin D
It is now recommended that the serum concentration of vitamin D should be at least 75 nmol/l of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D). To obtain this serum level, between 25µg and 75µg of vitamin D needs to be consumed daily.
Restriction of sunlight reduces vitamin D status, with the result that 60% of all adults in the UK are not obtaining enough vitamin D naturally.
In fact, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2007) has recommended that the upper safe limit for vitamin D be raised to 250µg/day (10,000iu) from the current Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) limit of 50µg in the USA. In the UK the (RDA) Recommended Daily Allowance for vitamin D is just 5µg.
Current scientific thinking on the importance of adequate intake of vitamin D is causing a revolution in how this vitamin should be supplemented. Many recommendations of daily intake are now in excess of the upper safe limit previously advised. As most multivitamin products only provide 200-400iu, the only viable option to substantially increase vitamin D intake is to provide the vitamin as an individual supplement.
A chewable vitamin D is available from Biolife. This is a blackcurrant flavoured tablet providing 25µg (1000iu) of vitamin D3. Taking these tablets daily can provide the recommended range of intake of this vitamin.
Dr Nigel Plummer
This is a useful link for further information on sources of vitamin D supplements |
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