Will Vitamin D Prevent Dementia Cancer And/or Premature Death
Several studies have identified an association between vitamin D deficiency and diagnoses such as Alzheimers disease and cancer. In other words, people with these conditions tend to have low vitamin D blood levels.
But an association isnt the same thing as causation, so its not yet known whether vitamin D deficiency causes these diseases. Its also not yet known whether taking vitamin D supplements will reduce ones chance of developing these diseases.
To date, most randomized studies of vitamin D to improve health outcomes have been negative.
Although its possible that low vitamin D levels might be a factor in developing certain diseases, its probably a small effect. Cancer and Alzheimers, after all, generally seem to be the result of lots of little factors genetics, epigenetics, stress, immune function, nutrition, inflammation, toxins interacting over time.
In 2010, the Institute of Medicine concluded: This thorough review found that information about the health benefits of vitamin D supplementation beyond bone healthbenefits often reported in the mediawere from studies that provided often mixed and inconclusive results and could not be considered reliable.
Advice For Infants And Young Children
The Department of Health and Social Care recommends that babies from birth to 1 year of age should have a daily supplement containing 8.5 to 10 micrograms of vitamin D throughout the year if they are:
- formula-fed and are having less than 500ml of infant formula a day, as infant formula is already fortified with vitamin D
Children aged 1 to 4 years old should be given a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D throughout the year.
You can buy vitamin D supplements or vitamin drops containing vitamin D at most pharmacies and supermarkets.
Women and children who qualify for the Healthy Start scheme can get free supplements containing vitamin D.
See the Healthy Start website for more information.
Does Vitamin D3 Help Anxiety
Vitamin D is essential for many functions in the body, including maintaining healthy bones and teeth, providing immune support, and regulating cell growth. Some research suggests that vitamin D may also play a role in reducing anxiety and improving mood. However, more research is needed to confirm these potential benefits.
If you’re considering taking vitamin D supplements, it’s important to speak with your healthcare provider first. They can help you determine the proper dosage based on your individual needs.
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Might Prevent Certain Types Of Cancer
Vitamin D3 can aid in the prevention of a number of cancers. According to epidemiological studies, people who live in southern/equatorial regions and are more exposed to the sun had a decreased chance of developing certain malignancies.
Vitamin D has been linked to cancer in numerous studies. Vitamin D aids in cell repair and regeneration, which may help to slow the development of cancerous tumors, encourage cell death that has been damaged by cancer, and reduce blood vessel formation in tumors.
What Research Gaps Were Identified
The IOM expert committee identified areas where further research would help improve the determination of reference values in the future. A total of 22 major research needs were identified and are summarized in Table 9-1 of the report. The general categories of information gaps are:
- Data on the physiology and metabolism of calcium and vitamin D
- Data on health outcomes and adverse effects related to calcium and vitamin D
- Data on dose-response relationships between intakes of calcium and vitamin D and health outcomes
- Evidence to judge independent effects of calcium and vitamin D
- Information on the impact and role of sun exposure relative to vitamin D
- Standardized and consistent data on calcium and vitamin D intakes
- Exploration of methodologies for synthesizing evidence
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Optimum Vitamin D Dosage Without Blood Test
Take the following daily vitamin D dose as a dietary supplement:
Babies up to the first year..400 IU Children one year and up.1000 IU Adolescents….1000 IU per 12 kilograms of bodyweight Adults..5000 IU* Pregnant women….4000 IU bis 6000 IU * based on an average body weight of 70 kilogram
This dose is recommended by experts in order to achieve the optimum 25D value of 60 ng/ml and permanently maintain this level.
Since this recommendation for vitamin D lies within the safe zone and this dose has never resulted in side effects, it can be taken without requiring a blood test.
This dose can be taken daily throughout the year, except for individuals who spend 15-20 minutes in the sun during the early afternoon three times or more per week. For these individuals, the exposure to sunlight means the body produces sufficient vitamin D in the skin.
There are numerous recommendations which make taking vitamin D unnecessarily complicated. But if you follow the above dosage and have your 25D tested after 3 months, you’ll see how easy it can be to get your vitamin D levels into the optimal range.
Important note: If you regularly take vitamin D in form of a dietary supplement, for low vitamin D intake you should additionally take 100 mcg of vitamin K2 daily or, if you take 5,000 IU of vitamin D or more per day, take 200 mcg of vitamin K2 additionally each day, to ensure that calcium absorbed by vitamin D is not deposited in the arteries.
Vitamin D And Your Health
Vitamin D, nicknamed “the sunshine vitamin” because your body produces it after sun exposure, has long been known to help build strong bones by increasing the body’s absorption of calcium and phosphorous. But beginning in 2000, research into vitamin D’s role in other health conditions began to expand rapidly.
While there is strong support for vitamin D’s role in bone health, the evidence that it prevents other health conditions is not yet conclusive, says Dr. Manson. “Research on vitamin D and calcium supplementation has been mixed and, especially when it comes to randomized clinical trials, has been generally disappointing to date,” she says.
Dr. Manson was a principal investigator of the recently published Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial , a large study . The study found that those taking a vitamin D supplement did not lower rates of heart attack, stroke, or cancer. However, among people who later developed cancer, those who took vitamin D supplements for at least two years had a 25% lower chance of dying from their cancer compared with those who received a placebo.
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Your Value Is Between 100
These values are considered to be too high, but are not classified as harmful to health. Nevertheless, you should reduce your 25D value to below 100 ng/ml. To achieve this, simply stop taking vitamin D in dietary supplement form and do not sunbathe. After roughly 3 months, have your 25D level retested. After your Vitamin D value is back in the normal range, adjust your vitamin D intake accordingly.
How To Prevent And Treat Vitamin D Deficiency
Many patients and physicians think that adequate vitamin D intake can be obtained via diet alone. This assumption is erroneous. With the exception of fatty fish, the vitamin D content of most foods, including fortified dairy products, is relatively low to nonexistent. Even some dairy products in the United States are not fortified, making it important to read food labels to ensure the vitamin D content of foods.
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Your Value Is Between 30
This value is officially considered to be normal. However, vitamin D experts still consider this to be too low. Still, this level of vitamin D is sufficient to ensure that calcium is adequately absorbed, making the risk of broken bones quite low.
Research has also shown that this level of vitamin D strengthens the immune system better, enabling it to fend off infections easier. However, one may need a higher level in order to get through the winter without becoming ill.
If your vitamin D blood level is e.g. 25 ng/ml or higher and you want to increase them, you can take the following amount of vitamin D :
To reach the mentioned value.. take this vitamin D Dose per day:
40 ng/ml ..800 IU 70 ng/ml ..7300 IU
Your Value Is Between 40
In the view of vitamin D experts this level means you’re getting an adequate amount of vitamin D. Most people would produce this amount of vitamin D in their body if they were exposed to the sun completely naked all year at the equator. These levels are also achieved by hunter-gatherers in the bush in Africa who live a traditional way of life.
At this vitamin D level, the body can perfectly regulate calcium absorption via the adequate formation of parathyroid hormone. Breastfeeding mothers can sufficiently pass on vitamin D to their baby through breast milk.
Some studies suggest that these amounts of vitamin D are associated with a reduced risk of certain cancers and with better heart and circulation health. Research results also indicate that vitamin D levels in this range strengthen the immune system and support the body in fighting infection.
If your vitamin D blood level is e.g. 25 ng/ml or higher and you want to increase them, you can take the following amount of vitamin D :
To reach the mentioned value.. take this vitamin D Dose per day:
50 ng/ml ..900 IU 70 ng/ml ..5700 IU
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Optimal Vitamin D Dose With Blood Test
If you suffer from a disease that makes it absolutely necessary for your vitamin D level to be in the optimal range, or if you want to know your exact level, then you should have your vitamin D level measured. The blood test to measure your vitamin D levels is called the 25D blood test.
The result of the blood test helps determine how much vitamin D you should take in the form of vitamin D capsules or vitamin D drops, etc., or whether you should increase your exposure to the sun in order to build up an optimal vitamin D level.
Since everyone absorbs vitamin D differently, the 25D value may develop differently. This means that not ever person will achieve exactly the same 25D level in their blood even if they take the same dose of vitamin D.
The following recommendations represent guidelines on how your vitamin D blood levels could increase when taking the respective amount of vitamin D. Therefore, this information should not be regarded as a guarantee for the specified values.
About 3 months after you begin taking your dose, you should have your vitamin D level re-measured to check on things. Once you have the result, you can assess how your vitamin D level has changed during the time you’ve been taking it, as well as to what extent the dose should be adjusted.
Some People Are Overdoing It In Search Of Better Health
Vitamin D is having its day in the sun. In recent years, research has associated low blood levels of the vitamin with higher risks of everything from heart disease, diabetes, and cancer to mood disorders and dementia. The findings have not gone unnoticed. Vitamin D supplements and screening tests have surged in popularity.
“Vitamin D testing is one of the top Medicare lab tests performed in the United States in recent years,” says Dr. JoAnn E. Manson, the Michael and Lee Bell Professor of Women’s Health at Harvard Medical School. “This is really surprising for a test that is recommended for only a small subset of the population.”
Unfortunately, this vitamin D trend isn’t all blue skies. Some people are overdoing it with supplements. Researchers looking at national survey data gathered between 1999 and 2014 found a 2.8% uptick in the number of people taking potentially unsafe amounts of vitamin D that is, more than 4,000 international units per day, according to a research letter published in the June 20 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association . And during the same time period there was nearly an 18% increase in the number of people taking 1,000 IU or more of vitamin D daily, which is also beyond the dose of 600 to 800 IU recommended for most people.
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What Happens If I Take Too Much Vitamin D
Taking too many vitamin D supplements over a long period of time can cause too much calcium to build up in the body . This can weaken the bones and damage the kidneys and the heart.
If you choose to take vitamin D supplements, 10 micrograms a day will be enough for most people.
Do not take more than 100 micrograms of vitamin D a day as it could be harmful. This applies to adults, including pregnant and breastfeeding women and the elderly, and children aged 11 to 17 years.
Children aged 1 to 10 years should not have more than 50 micrograms a day. Infants under 12 months should not have more than 25 micrograms a day.
Some people have medical conditions that mean they may not be able to safely take as much. If in doubt, you should consult your doctor.
If your doctor has recommended you take a different amount of vitamin D, you should follow their advice.
You cannot overdose on vitamin D through exposure to sunlight. But always remember to cover up or protect your skin if you’re out in the sun for long periods to reduce the risk of skin damage and skin cancer.
Page last reviewed: 03 August 2020 Next review due: 03 August 2023
Reduces Risk Of Heart Disease
Vitamin D insufficiency has been linked to a variety of illnesses, including high blood pressure, heart disease, congestive heart failure, peripheral arterial disease, strokes, and heart attacks. Vitamin D levels may be increased to help prevent heart illness and its symptoms from developing.
Vitamin D is essential for maintaining good cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and dental health. Furthermore, since it may assist with weight reduction and proper body weight, it might also help to reduce the negative consequences of obesity and excessive body fat on cardiac disease. For further details about Vitamin D benefits, consult your doctor.
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Linus Pauling Institute Recommendation
The Linus Pauling Institute recommends that generally healthy adults take 2,000 IU of supplemental vitamin D daily. Most multivitamins contain 400 IU of vitamin D, and single-ingredient vitamin D supplements are available for additional supplementation. Sun exposure, diet, skin color, and body mass index have variable, substantial impact on body vitamin D levels. To adjust for individual differences and ensure adequate body vitamin D status, the Linus Pauling Institute recommends aiming for a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration of at least 30 ng/mL . Observational studies suggest that serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations between 30 ng/mL and 60 ng/mL are associated with lower risks of adverse health outcomes, including cancers and autoimmune diseases.
The American Academy of Pediatrics currently suggests that all infants, children, and adolescents receive 400 IU of supplemental vitamin D daily . Consistent with the recommendations of the Endocrine Society , the Linus Pauling Institute recommends daily intakes of 400 to 1,000 IU of vitamin D in infants and 600 to 1,000 IU of vitamin D in children and adolescents. Given the average vitamin D content of breast milk, infant formula, and the diets of children and adolescents, supplementation may be necessary to meet these recommendations.
Older adults
Vitamin D Dose Depending On Your 25d Value:
Here you’ll find dosage recommendations for the intake of vitamin D in form of a dietary supplement, depending on the respective 25D value. The recommendations are based on the findings of Dr. John J. Cannell, a vitamin D expert and founder of the Vitamin D Council organization.
The given vitamin D dose may be slightly rounded up or down in order to take the recommended amount using the available vitamin D preparations.
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How Much Vitamin D You Need
Babies under 12 months need 5 micrograms of vitamin D as a supplement every day from birth if they are:
- have less than 300mls or 10 fluid oz of infant formula a day
You should stop giving your child formula milk when they reach 1 year of age.
Children aged 1 to 4 need 5 micrograms of vitamin D as a supplement every day for a few months each year. Give this from Halloween to St Patricks Day .
Read more about vitamin D for babies 0 to 12 months and vitamin D supplements for children aged 1 to 4 years
A microgram is 1,000 times smaller than a milligram . The word microgram is sometimes written with the Greek symbol followed by the letter g .
Sometimes the amount of vitamin D is expressed as International Units . 1 microgram of vitamin D is equal to 40 IU. So 10 micrograms of vitamin D is equal to 400 IU.
What Are Dosages Of Vitamin D
Dosages of Vitamin D Should Be Given As Follows:
Adult and Pediatric Dosage Forms & Strengths
1 mcg = 40 international units
Oral Solution
- Vitamin D toxicity may last 2 months or more after therapy is discontinued.
- Adequate clinical response to vitamin D therapy is dependent on adequate dietary calcium.
- In patients with rickets, the range between therapeutic and toxic doses is narrow in vitamin Dresistant patients adjust dose based on clinical response to avoid toxicity.
Vitamin D as Nutritional Supplementation
- 19-70 years: 600 IU /day
- Pregnant or lactating women: 600 IU /day
Vitamin D as Nutritional Supplementation
- Recommended daily allowance
- 19-70 years: 600 IU /day
- Pregnant or lactating women: 600 IU /day
Vitamin D to Prevent and Treat Osteoporosis
- > 50 years: 800-1000 IU PO once daily with calcium supplements
Vitamin D to Prevent and Treat Hypoparathyroidism
- 50,000-200,000 IU PO once daily with calcium supplements
Vitamin D to Prevent and Treat Vitamin D-Resistant Rickets
- 12,000-500,000 IU PO once daily
Vitamin D to Prevent and Treat Familial Hypophosphatemia
- 10,000-60,000 IU PO once daily with phosphate supplements
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