Why is Vitamin D So Important?

By Kaitlyn Weiss C.S.C.S.

Vitamin D has a slew of health benefits including reduced abdominal fat, enhanced immunity, cancer prevention, improved brain and heart functioning, reducing symptoms and also prevention of depression, improved bone density, and much more. However, despite all these benefits, studies have found as many as three fourths of adults in the United States to have a Vitamin D deficiency. Many studies have found a deficiency to be linked to many serious health problems including: Multiple Sclerosis, certain cancers, athsma, certian flu strains, depression, osteoperosis, obesity, chronic pain, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, and more. The recommended daily intake of Vitamin D is 1000 IU, and this can be acheived through proper supplementation, 15 minutes of sunlight daily, and eating foods rich in Vitamin D (see the table below). *

*Note: Those taking medications including Corticosteroids (Prednisone), Cholesterol lowering drugs Quedran, LoCholest, and Prevalite, and those taking Phenobarbital and Phenytonin should not take vitamin D due to negative drug interactions.

Table 3: Selected Food Sources of Vitamin D
Food - IUs per serving* - Percent DV**

Cod liver oil, 1 tablespoon - 1,360 - 340

Salmon (sockeye), cooked, 3 ounces - 794 - 199

Mushrooms that have been exposed to
ultraviolet light to increase vitamin D,
3 ounces (not yet commonly available) - 400 - 100

Mackerel, cooked, 3 ounces - 388 - 97

Tuna fish, canned in water, drained, 3oz. - 154 - 39

Milk, nonfat, reduced fat, and whole,
vitamin D-fortified, 1 cup - 115-124 - 29-31

Orange juice fortified with vitamin D,
1 cup (check product labels, as amount
of added vitamin D varies) - 100 - 25

Yogurt, fortified with 20% of the DV
for vitamin D, 6 ounces (more heavily
fortified yogurts provide more of the DV) - 80 - 20

Sardines, canned in oil, drained,
2 sardines - 46 - 12

Liver, beef, cooked, 3.5 ounces - 46 - 12

Ready-to-eat cereal, fortified with
10% of the DV for vitamin D, 0.75-1 cup
(more heavily fortified cereals might
provide more of the DV) - 40 - 10

Egg, 1 whole (vitamin D is found in yolk) - 25 - 6

Cheese, Swiss, 1 ounce - 6 - 2

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp#h3