Vitamin D Milk Nutrition

Vitamin D Milk Nutrition

Top 10 High Vitamin D Foods

Powered by USDA Nutrition Data

Last Updated: July 29th, 2021

Vitamin D is an essential vitamin required by the body for the absorption of calcium, bone development, immune functioning and alleviation of inflammation. (1)

A deficiency of Vitamin D can lead to rickets, a weakened immune system, increased cancer risk, poor hair growth and osteomalacia. (1)

Excess vitamin D can cause the body to absorb too much calcium, leading to increased risk of heart disease and kidney stones. (1)

The current U.S. Daily Value (%DV) for vitamin D is 20μg (micrograms) and the toxicity threshold is thought to be 250 to 1000 μg/day. (1)

Sometimes vitamin D values are given in IU (International Units). When this is the case remember that 1μg=40IU for Vitamin D. (1)

Vitamin D is fat soluble, which means you need to eat fat to absorb it. Foods high in vitamin D include fish, mushrooms exposed to sunlight, fortified milk, fortified milk substitutes, fortified tofu, fortified yogurt, fortified breakfast cereals, fortified orange juice, pork chops, and eggs.

Vitamin D is also made by the body when skin is exposed sunlight and is therefore called the sunshine vitamin. This accounts for approximately 90% of our total vitamin D, with only 10% coming from food. Depending on where you live, 20 minutes of sun exposure a day is enough to meet your vitamin D requirements.

Below is a list of the top 10 foods highest in vitamin D by common serving size, for more see the nutrient ranking of 200 foods high in vitamin D.

• Introduction
• High Vitamin D Foods
• Printable
• Foods High in Vitamin D2
• Foods High in Vitamin D3
• Deficiency Risk Factors
• What Fruits and Vegetables are High in Vitamin D?
• Warnings
• About the Data
•  Nutrient Ranking Tool
• Related
• Feedback
• References

#1: Fish (Salmon)

Vitamin D per 6oz Fillet	Vitamin D per 100g	Vitamin D per 200 Calories
28.4μg (142% DV)	16.7μg (84% DV)	21.4μg (107% DV)

#2: Crimini (Chestnut) Mushrooms (Exposed to UV Light)

Vitamin D per Cup	Vitamin D per 100g	Vitamin D per 200 Calories
27.8μg (139% DV)	31.9μg (160% DV)	290μg (1450% DV)

#3: Fortified Milk

Vitamin D per 16oz Glass	Vitamin D per 100g	Vitamin D per 200 Calories
6.3μg (32% DV)	1.3μg (7% DV)	4.3μg (21% DV)

#4: Fortified Milk Substitutes (Soy Milk)

Vitamin D per 16oz Glass	Vitamin D per 100g	Vitamin D per 200 Calories
5.8μg (29% DV)	1.2μg (6% DV)	7.3μg (36% DV)

#5: Fortified Tofu

Vitamin D per Cup	Vitamin D per 100g	Vitamin D per 200 Calories
5.7μg (28% DV)	2.5μg (13% DV)	5.4μg (27% DV)

#6: Fortified Yogurt

Vitamin D per Cup	Vitamin D per 100g	Vitamin D per 200 Calories
3.2μg (16% DV)	1.3μg (7% DV)	2.5μg (13% DV)

#7: Fortified Breakfast Cereal

Vitamin D per 3/4 Cup	Vitamin D per 100g	Vitamin D per 200 Calories
2.5μg (12% DV)	8.3μg (42% DV)	5.2μg (26% DV)

#8: Fortified Orange Juice

Vitamin D per Cup	Vitamin D per 100g	Vitamin D per 200 Calories
2.5μg (12% DV)	1μg (5% DV)	4.3μg (21% DV)

#9: Pork Chops

Vitamin D in 1 Pork Chop	Vitamin D per 100g	Vitamin D per 200 Calories
2.1μg (10% DV)	1μg (5% DV)	0.8μg (4% DV)

#10: Eggs

Vitamin D in 1 Large Egg	Vitamin D per 100g	Vitamin D per 200 Calories
1.1μg (6% DV)	2.2μg (11% DV)	2.8μg (14% DV)

See All 200 Foods High in Vitamin D

Next ➞

Printable One Page Sheet

Click to Print

Foods High in Vitamin D2

Foods High in Vitamin D3

People at Risk of a Vitamin D Deficiency

• Breastfed Infants Who are Not in the Sun - The amount of vitamin D in breast milk depends on the amount of vitamin D in the mother. However, breast-milk typically does not contain adequate amounts of vitamin D. Be sure infants get some exposure to the sun (at least 10-20 minutes per day) to ensure adequate levels of vitamin D. (1)
• Older Adults - As skin ages it is less and less able to make vitamin D from the sun, so vitamin D has to be attained from foods or supplements. (1)
• People With Little Sun Exposure on the Skin - Wearing sunscreen, or lots of clothing, hampers the production of vitamin D from the sun. (1)
• People with Darker Skin - Melanin, a pigment found in skin, reduces the body's ability to manufacture vitamin D from the sun. (1)
• People who have Problems Absorbing Fat - Vitamin D is fat soluble, which means it is found in fats, and your body has to be able to digest fats in order for you to absorb the vitamin D. (1)
• People Taking Certain Medications
  • Steroid Corticosteroid medications used to alleviate inflammation can reduce calcium absorption and impair vitamin D metabolism. (1)
  • Weight-loss drugs with orlistat as well as cholesterol-lowering drugs with cholestyramine can reduce the absorption of vitamin D and other fat-soluble vitamins. (1)
  • Medicines used to treat epileptic seizures, particularly phenobarbital and phenytoin, interfere with Vitamin D and reduces calcium absorption. (1)

What Fruits and Vegetables are High in Vitamin D?

Vegetables high in vitamin D include mushrooms which have been exposed to sunlight. Other vegan foods high in vitamin D include fortified soy products like tofu, soy milk, and soy yogurt, fortified cereals, and fortified juices.

Unfortunately, no fruits are high in vitamin D, and fortified orange juice is currently the only fruit product commonly sold with vitamin D.

Warnings

Consuming too much vitamin D from food or supplements can lead to anorexia, weight loss, polyuria, heart arrhythmias, kidney stones, and increased risk of heart attacks. Vitamin D cannot reach toxic levels if created naturally from sun exposure. (1)

About the Data

Data for the curated food lists comes from the USDA Food Data Central Repository.

You can check our data against the USDA by clicking the (Source) link at the bottom of each food listing.

Note: When checking data please be sure the serving sizes are the same. In the rare case you find any difference, please contact us and we will fix it right away.

• Foods High in Vitamin D
• Foods Low in Vitamin D
• Vegetarian Foods High in Vitamin D
• Dairy High in Vitamin D
• Breakfast Cereals High in Vitamin D
• Fast Foods High in Vitamin D

View more food groups with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.

• Cereals High in Vitamin D
• Dairy Foods High in Vitamin D
• High Calcium Foods
• High Calcium Fruits
• High Calcium Vegetables
• High Vitamin K Foods
• High Potassium Foods

feedback

Data Sources and References

1. Office of Dietary Supplements - Vitamin D
2. U.S. Agricultural Research Service Food Data Central

MyFoodData provides nutrition data tools and articles to help you organize and understand the foods you eat. Read more...

Vitamin D Milk Nutrition

Source: https://www.myfooddata.com/articles/high-vitamin-D-foods.php

Share:

Read More

Melanin Vitamin D

Melanin Vitamin D

Nutrients. 2018 Apr; 10(4): 457.

Colour Counts: Sunlight and Skin Type as Drivers of Vitamin D Deficiency at UK Latitudes

Mark D. Farrar

³Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester and Dermatology Centre, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, M6 8HD UK; ku.ca.retsehcnam@rarraf.kram

Jack Wilkinson

⁴Centre for Biostatistics, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre (MAHSC), University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL UK; ku.ca.retsehcnam@nosnikliw.kcaj

Lesley E. Rhodes

³Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester and Dermatology Centre, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, M6 8HD UK; ku.ca.retsehcnam@rarraf.kram

Received 2018 Mar 13; Accepted 2018 Apr 3.

This article has been cited by other articles in PMC.

Abstract

Sunlight exposure, with resulting cutaneous synthesis, is a major source of vitamin D for many, while dietary intake is low in modern diets. The constitutive pigment in skin determines skin type, observed as white, brown, or black skin. The melanin pigment absorbs ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and protects underlying skin from damage caused by UVR. It also reduces the UVR available for vitamin D synthesis in the skin. It has been shown that the white-skinned population of the UK are able to meet their vitamin D needs with short, daily lunchtime exposures to sunlight. We have followed the same methodology, based on a 10-year UK all-weather UVR climatology, observation (sun exposure, diet, vitamin D status), and UVR intervention studies with Fitzpatrick skin type V (brown) adults, to determine whether sunlight at UK latitudes could provide an adequate source of vitamin D for this section of the population. Results show that to meet vitamin D requirements, skin type V individuals in the UK need ~25 min daily sunlight at lunchtime, from March to September. This makes several assumptions, including that forearms and lower legs are exposed June–August; only exposing hands and face at this time is inadequate. For practical and cultural reasons, enhanced oral intake of vitamin D should be considered for this population.

Keywords: vitamin D, ultraviolet radiation, climatology, skin type V, dietary intake, vitamin D deficiency

1. Introduction

Vitamin D, necessary for musculoskeletal health, and potentially advantageous for prevention of a range of other diseases [1] is a unique nutrient in that the body can synthesise its own vitamin D. It does this via the action of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) on 7-dehydrocholesterol in skin, eventually leading to vitamin D, and then the main circulating form 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), used as a measure of vitamin D status), and the active metabolite 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D, which is closely regulated by the endocrine system [2]. Vitamin D is also available through the diet, though it is naturally present in more than low quantity in few foods (fatty fish are the major source). Modern western-style diets are unlikely to meet the recommended dietary intake of 10 μg/day [3] advised both in the USA [4] and recently in the UK [5]. This leaves cutaneous synthesis as the primary source of vitamin D for many, but the process is determined by a complex range of variables, predominantly available UVB (weather/climate), exposure time and pattern, skin area exposed, skin pigment, and age [6].

When considering different sub-populations resident in a given location, the weather and climate are the same for all. It is personal characteristics and behavior that determine how much vitamin D can be made through sun exposure, and hence the vitamin D status of the sub-populations. Skin pigmentation, i.e., melanin, absorbs the UVR that initiates vitamin D synthesis, and hence decreases the vitamin D that is made for a given exposure compared to less pigmented skin. This has been observed in UVR intervention studies [7] and more generally. Recent analysis of the UK-based National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS)—4 year Rolling Programme showed that the prevalence of serum 25(OH)D < 30 nmol/L in Asian participants (n = 52) was 59.6%, compared to 19.6% in white participants (n = 1359), with similar differences between pigmented and non-pigmented skin types in other European countries at similar or higher latitudes [8]. Improving the vitamin D status of the skin type V population requires either an oral intervention through food fortification or vitamin D supplements, or a change in behavior to increase the vitamin D synthesized in the skin. Much of the public health guidance available for sun exposure encourages sun protection, taking little account of skin type, while cultural expectations may limit skin exposure. Thus, the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recently identified the need for targeted sun exposure advice for different sections of the population [9], but the guidance in terms of required sun exposure for vitamin D synthesis has not previously been quantified for skin type V individuals. Here we present that calculation, based on previous in vivo studies of skin type V adults [7,10,11] and a high resolution UVR climatology of the UK [12]. Following similar work for a white-skinned population [13], this allows for the targeted advice called for by NICE.

2. Materials and Methods

The methods of calculating the sunlight exposure required to maintain a vitamin D status above deficiency (≥25 nmol/L circulating 25(OH)D) year-round (expressed as minutes unprotected skin is exposed to sunlight in the summer months) are described in detail for white Caucasians [13] and are followed here for skin type V individuals.

In summary, the ambient UVR across the UK was calculated for each day of a 10-year period using satellite inputs of ozone, cloud, aerosol optical depth, and accounting for altitude, to produce a 10-year all-weather climatology [12]. UVB irradiance at the Earth's surface is so low at this latitude in the winter months that no appreciable vitamin D can be made in skin, so summer sunlight exposure has to provide adequate vitamin D to remain above the target status until the next spring. Datasets from previously published work conducted in Greater Manchester (53.5° N) provided the observed UVR exposures, dietary intake and vitamin D status of skin type I-IV [14] and skin type V individuals [10] year-round enabling an estimate of the end-summer circulating 25(OH)D needed to remain at or above 25 nmol/L throughout the winter, and the monthly spend of 25(OH)D by the body. Then, the response of skin type V adults to an intervention of known doses of simulated sunlight [11] was used to calculate the UVR dose required to raise circulating 25(OH)D from the winter-end low to the summer-end high previously assessed. This assumes that, like the intervention study, the UVR is received in small doses on a regular basis. A safe exposure time for skin type V was estimated based on the highest expected UVR irradiance in the UK and then the UV climatology was used to assess whether daily noon-time exposures, of duration the safe exposure time, throughout the summer months, would provide for the target end-summer 25(OH)D under the UV climate of the UK.

The vitamin D made in skin and quantified in the circulating 25(OH)D also depends on skin area exposed. Thus, calculations were repeated for four different scenarios (S1–4) of skin area exposed: S1, 35% (hands, face, forearms, and lower legs) March–September; S2, 10% (hands and face) March–May and September but 35% June–August; S3, 10% March–September; S4, 35% June–August only, but with exposure time adjusted by latitude to give the same dose anywhere in the UK. The intervention studies [7,11] were conducted with 35% skin area exposed, although over a shorter period of 6 weeks, so scenarios S1 and S4 relate directly to the underlying in vivo study. Where the model assumes 10% skin area exposed the results were scaled by skin area i.e., it was assumed that all skin makes vitamin D in an equivalent way when exposed to UVB radiation. Furthermore, no account was taken of possible differences in skin photohardening with repeated UVR exposure over 6 months rather than 6 weeks. The ambient (modelled) UVR was also adjusted from radiation on a horizontal surface (base climatology) to radiation on a randomly oriented vertical surface, according to [15], to be more representative of an upright human body. The base climatology (horizontal surface) was retained in assessing the safe exposure time, as a safeguard for horizontal areas of the upright body (e.g., shoulders) or for those who may sit or lie while outdoors. Thus, the model conditions err on the side of caution with respect to sunburn and may underestimate the vitamin D that can be synthesized if behaviour is other than upright standing or walking.

The results were then used to determine a simple public health message on vitamin D acquisition and the maintenance of sufficient vitamin D status, for skin type V individuals.

3. Results

3.1. Input to the Vitamin D Synthesis Calculations

The observation study [10] showed that the dietary intake of the skin type V population was very low (median 1.32 µg per day). It also showed a slight seasonal cycle in both UVR exposure and circulating 25(OH)D, indicating that sunlight exposure does contribute to vitamin D status for people with skin type V in UK. However, UVR exposure, the amplitude of the seasonal change in 25(OH)D, and the absolute levels of 25(OH)D were all less than for white Caucasians [16]. Median values of circulating 25(OH)D were 22.5 nmol/L in summer and 14.5 nmol/L in winter, while 93% of the cohort remained below 50 nmol/L year-round, defined as insufficiency [4]. Given that many of this group had circulating 25(OH)D < 25 nmol/L all year round, it was not possible to regress winter on summer values to determine what end-summer value of 25(OH)D would result in an end-winter value of ≥25 nmol/L, nor to determine monthly spend of 25(OH)D in this way. Therefore we used the calculations previously performed for white Caucasians [13], Figure 1, as a proxy for vitamin D spend in the south Asian (skin type V) group, on the assumption that if 25(OH)D status could be boosted once (by supplements or UVR) to levels of the white Caucasian population then from the point that vitamin D enters the bloodstream its metabolism will be the same, irrespective of external skin colour. There was no suggestion of differences in rates of spending between white and skin type V cohorts, based on a statistical interaction test. Further, for the few skin type V individuals who reached relatively high 25(OH)D levels the data fit well with the white Caucasian regression. For the white Caucasian calculations [13] the period of the year with no significant vitamin D synthesis was taken as October to February inclusive, based on observational study [14]. Due to UVR absorption by skin pigment (melanin), a shorter summer synthesis period was used for skin type V and the end-summer target identified in August (as given in Table 1), while in the final calculation of sun exposure required, extra time of spend-only had to be accounted for.

Log-log regression of February 25(OH)D on August 25(OH)D, as described in [13], data from [10,14]. Data points are individual volunteers, shaded band shows 96% prediction interval, under which 97.5% of individuals would exceed 25 nmol/L in February given an August level of 85.8 nmol/L. White Caucasian vitamin D spend data have been used as a proxy for South Asian vitamin D spend as explained in Section 3.1.

Table 1

Model parameters assessed from previous in vivo research and outcome by exposure scenario S1–S4.

Model Parameters and Summary Results
End summer month	August
End summer 25(OH)D target + (nmol/L)	85.8
Monthly 25(OH)D spend (nmol/L/month)	6.25
Summer dose required (SED)	89.6 *
Acceptable daily dose (SED)	2.75
Time for fixed daily dose (S1–3), (minutes)	25
Time range (S4) for daily dose of 2.75 SED at noon in June. Time (minutes) varies with latitude from southern England to northern Scotland	25–40
S1: 35% skin area March–September, maintains 25(OH)D status	Y
S2: 10% skin area March–May + September plus 35% skin area June–August, maintains 25(OH)D status	Y **
S3: 10% skin area all summer, maintains 25(OH)D status	N
S4: 35% skin area, June–August, D adjusted for latitude to give 2.75 SED, maintains 25(OH)D status	Y

The intervention study [11] showed that skin type V needs a dose of simulated sunlight that is 2.5–3 times that required by white Caucasians to raise circulating 25(OH)D by the same amount over a 6 week period. For this reason, the dose for which the 'safe exposure time' for skin type V was set was 2.75 SED, which according to reported MED for people of different skin types is also well below the erythema threshold for skin type V [17]. The 'safe exposure time', that is the time to achieve 2.75 SED on the UK's south coast at noon on a clear day in June, was 25 min. Table 1 summarises the intermediate results (model parameters) and the possibility of maintaining a 25(OH)D level ≥ 25 nmol/L year-round under each exposure scenario and the UK climatology, based on those parameters.

3.2. Application for UK Climatology

Figure 2 illustrates the calculation of achievable SED across the UK for 25 min daily exposure of skin type V skin, adjusted to a vertical surface, for comparison with the target summer dose required (89.6 SED or 8960 Jm⁻² : see Table 1). The calculation shown is for scenario S2: 10% skin area (hands and face) exposed from March–May and September, plus 35% skin area exposed (hands, face, forearms, and lower legs) June–August. For this scenario, and by extension for scenario S1 (35% skin area exposed March–September), it appears possible to meet vitamin D requirements through sun exposure for a skin type V individual living in the UK. However, the commitment to daily noon-time sun exposure March–September, at 25 min duration, is significantly more than required by a white Caucasian individual (9 min [12]).

Total summer half year (March–September) exposure on a randomly oriented vertical surface for a daily 25 min exposure at lunchtime according to Scenario S2 (10% skin surface area exposed March–May and September, 35% June–August). Exposures in March–May and September were scaled by skin area exposed before being included in the total, to indicate the reduced capacity for vitamin D synthesis associated with the reduced skin area exposed. The colour scale illustrates erythema effective UV (Jm⁻²), for comparison with the summer target value of 89.6 SED from Table 1.

The results for scenarios S3 and S4 are provided in Table 1. Exposing hands and face only throughout the summer (S3), for the 25 min skin type V exposure time, is inadequate to provide for maintenance of vitamin D status throughout the winter months. When exposure is only specified for the months June–August (35% skin area) but the exposure time adjusted by latitude to provide 2.75 SED across the UK (S4), it is possible to maintain year-round vitamin D status by means of this daily sun exposure. However, in this scenario the exposure time becomes as much as 40 min at lunchtime every day, requiring significant commitment of both time and dress (skin area exposed) for these 3 months, particularly at more northern latitudes.

4. Discussion

Skin type V individuals have, by definition, significant constitutive pigmentation that gives their skin its brown colour. The melanin pigment protects the underlying skin against damage from UVR. In reducing the UVR in this way it also reduces the vitamin D synthesis due to the same UVR. Thus, theory suggests, and our in vivo studies have shown [7,16] that skin type V individuals need more UVR (achieved naturally by more sun exposure) to make the same amount of vitamin D in skin as white Caucasians who lack their constitutive pigmentation. At mid-high latitudes where the climate is relatively UVR-poor (e.g., the UK) this can put the skin type V population at greater risk of vitamin D deficiency than their white-skinned counterparts. This was demonstrably true in our earlier in vivo observation [10] and intervention [7] studies, and in conversation with representatives of the South Asian population in Manchester [18].

The low levels of circulating 25(OH)D observed during the underlying in vivo studies means that several assumptions have been made in the current calculations, including the ability to reach 25(OH)D levels of ≥85.8 nmol/L (end summer target), which was not observed in UK South Asians in daily life [10] nor following intervention with a range of doses of simulated sunlight, whilst wearing summer clothing to reveal 35% skin surface area [11]. This lack of high levels of circulating 25(OH)D also led to assumptions that spend of 25(OH)D is independent of skin type and a similar summer-winter regression can be used in determining the end-summer level of circulating 25(OH)D required to remain ≥25 nmol/L throughout the winter.

Depending on the selected sun exposure scenario, the daily lunchtime exposure for those of skin type V varies from 25 to 40 min across the UK during the summer months and involves at least 35% skin area exposure for the period June–August. This is a significant practical commitment. It should be emphasized that these scenarios involve sunlight exposure of unprotected skin, i.e., skin to which sunscreen has not been applied, as sunscreen use would prolong the time required, dependent on the adequacy of its application [19]. Additionally, facial products such as moisturizers and foundation often contain sunscreen agents, thus providing a sun protection factor (SPF) to this site. Whilst our observation study of South Asian skin type V individuals in the UK [10] found infrequent use of dedicated sunscreen products or SPF-containing facial products in this community, this may not be universal, and could change. Moreover, there is controversy concerning the level of circulating 25(OH)D that should be maintained. Whilst the UK authorities recommend maintaining a year-round level of ≥25 nmol/L, i.e., above vitamin D deficiency status [5], others including the USA/Canadian and European authorities recommend maintaining a level of ≥50 nmol/L, i.e., sufficiency status [4,20].

Increasing skin area exposed above 35% might further improve 25(OH)D levels, and/or reduce exposure time required to maintain ≥25 nmol/L in the UK and could also help minimize the impact of the increased skin photoadaptation occurring over a longer period of UVR exposures. However, it could be impractical for many, and some South Asians have cultural reasons for exposing no more than hands and face in public. As for white Caucasians [12], this latter scenario (S3) of only hands and face exposed was ineffective at the exposure times assessed. While the required sun exposure times for brown-skinned people are subject to several assumptions, it is nonetheless evident that sun exposure can usefully contribute to vitamin D status, even in the UK and for those with naturally pigmented skin, to help avoid deficiency in the summer months. However, to ensure deficiency is avoided year round, additional oral vitamin D for skin type V individuals is clearly pragmatic.

Acknowledgments

This report is independent research commissioned and funded by the Department of Health Policy Research Programme (Modelling approach to determine the duration and intensity of sunlight exposure required to maintain and achieve adequate vitamin D status in winter in 'at risk' population groups; 024/0050). The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the Department of Health. M.F.D. and L.E.R. are supported by the Manchester NIHR Biomedical Research Centre. The human in vivo data used in the calculations comes from previously published work funded by Cancer Research-UK projects {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"C20668","term_id":"1621778","term_text":"C20668"}}C20668/A6808, A10007, principal investigator L.E.R. No funds were received for open access publishing.

Author Contributions

A.R.W. and L.E.R. conceived and designed the experiments; A.K. performed the experiments; A.R.W, R.C.K. and M.D.F. analyzed the data; J.W. contributed statistical analysis tools; A.R.W. wrote the paper and L.E.R. contributed to writing the paper.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The founding sponsors had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, and in the decision to publish the results.

References

1. Pfotenhauer K.M., Shubrook J.H. Vitamin D deficiency, Its Role in Health and Disease, and Current Supplementation Recommendations. Am. Osteopath. Assoc. 2017;117:301–305. doi: 10.7556/jaoa.2017.055. [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]

2. Webb A.R., Holick M.F. The role of sunlight in the cutaneous production of vitamin D3. In: Olson R.E., editor. Annual Review of Nutrition. Volume 8. Annual Reviews Inc.; Palo Alto, CA, USA: 1988. pp. 375–399. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

3. Cashman K., Kazantzidis A., Webb A.R., Keily M. An integrated predictive model of population serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol for application in strategy development for vitamin D deficiency prevention. J. Nutr. 2015;145:2419–2425. doi: 10.3945/jn.115.217968. [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]

4. Institute of Medicine . Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D. The National Academies Press; Washington, DC, USA: 2011. [Google Scholar]

6. Webb A.R. Who, What, Where and When? Influences on cutaneous vitamin D synthesis. Prog. Biophys. Mol. Biol. 2006;92:17–25. doi: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2006.02.004. [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]

7. Farrar M.D., Kift R., Felton S.J., Berry J.L., Durkin M.T., Allan D., Vail A., Webb A.R., Rhodes L.E. Recommended summer sunlight exposure levels fail to produce sufficient vitamin D status in UK adults of South Asian origin. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2011;94:1219–1224. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.111.019976. [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]

8. O'Neill C.M., Kazantzidis A., Ryan M.J., Barber N., Sempos C.T., Durazo-Arvizu R.A., Jorde R., Grimnes G., Eiriksdottir G., Gudnason V., et al. Seasonal Changes in vitamin D-effective UVB Availability in Europe and Associations with Population Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D. Nutrients. 2016;8:533. doi: 10.3390/nu8090533. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]

10. Kift R., Berry J.L., Vail A., Durkin M.T., Rhodes L.E., Webb A.R. Lifestyle factors including less cutaneous sun exposure contribute to starkly lower vitamin D status in UK South Asians compared to the white Caucasian population. Br. J. Dermatol. 2013;169:1272–1278. doi: 10.1111/bjd.12518. [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]

11. Farrar M.D., Webb A.R., Kift R., Durkin M.T., Allan D., Herbert A., Berry J.L., Rhodes L.E. Efficacy of a dose-range of simulated sunlight exposures in raising vitamin D status in South Asian adults: Implications for targeted guidance on sun exposure. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2013;97:1210–1216. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.112.052639. [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]

12. Kazantzidis A., Smedley A.R.D., Kift R.C., Rimmer J.S., Berry J.L., Rhodes L.E., Jorde R., Grimnes G., Eiriksdottir G., Gudnason V., et al. Modeling approach to determine how much UV radiation is available across the UK and Ireland for health risk and benefit studies. Photochem. Photobiol. Sci. 2015;14:1073–1081. doi: 10.1039/C5PP00008D. [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]

13. Webb A.R., Kazantzidis A., Kift R.C., Farrar M.D., Wilkinson J., Rhodes L.E. Meeting vitamin D requirements at UK latitudes: Providing a choice. Nutrients. 2018 in review. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

14. Webb A.R., Kift R., Durkin M.T., O'brien S.J., Vail A., Berry J.L., Rhodes L.E. The role of sunlight exposure in determining the vitamin D status of the UK white Caucasian adult population. Br. J. Dermatol. 2010;163:1050–1055. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2010.09975.x. [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]

15. Webb A.R., Kift R., Berry J.L., Rhodes L.E. The vitamin D debate: Translating controlled experiments into reality for human sun exposure times. Photochem. Photobiol. 2011;87:741–745. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-1097.2011.00898.x. [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]

16. Rhodes L.E., Webb A.R., Fraser H., Kift R., Durkin M., Vail A. Recommended Summer Sunlight Exposure Levels Can Produce Sufficient (>20 ng mL⁻¹) but Not the Proposed Optimal (>32 ng mL⁻¹) 25(OH)D Levels at UK Latitudes. J. Investig. Dermatol. 2010;130:1411–1418. doi: 10.1038/jid.2009.417. [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]

17. Fitzpatrick T.B. The validity and practicality of sun-reactive skin type I through VI. Arch. Dermatol. 1988;124:869–871. doi: 10.1001/archderm.1988.01670060015008. [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]

18. Webb A.R., Aseem S., Kift R., Rhodes L.E., Farrar M.D. Target the message: A qualitative study exploring knowledge and cultural attitudes to sunlight and vitamin D in Greater Manchester, UK. Br. J. Dermatol. 2016;175:1401–1403. doi: 10.1111/bjd.14800. [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]

19. Springbett P., Buglass S., Young A.R. Photoprotection and vitamin D status. J. Photochem. Photobiol. B. 2010;101:160–168. doi: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2010.03.006. [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]

20. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Panel on Dietetic Products. Dietary reference values for vitamin D. EFSA J. 2016;14:4547. [Google Scholar]

Melanin Vitamin D

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5946242/#:~:text=Skin%20pigmentation%2C%20i.e.%2C%20melanin%2C,compared%20to%20less%20pigmented%20skin.

Share:

Read More

Daily Recommended Vitamin D

Daily Recommended Vitamin D

ARCHIVED CONTENT:  As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date each article was posted or last reviewed. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

Over the past decade, a barrage of reports linking low vitamin D levels to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and a host of other ills led many doctors to routinely test vitamin D levels in their healthy patients. But there is no good reason to do that, according to a new recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) published in this week's Annals of Internal Medicine.

After reviewing the results of 25 vitamin D studies, the panel concluded that it isn't helpful for most people to know their vitamin D level. For one thing, experts don't agree on what low vitamin D means. Some laboratories define it as below 20 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL), others set it at below 50 ng/mL. In addition, tests for vitamin D aren't standardized or reliable.

Perhaps most important, even if you have a "low" vitamin D level there's scant evidence that taking a vitamin D supplement will do you any good—with one exception. People low in vitamin D who take a supplement may be less likely to fall. That makes sense, given that vitamin D plays a key role in keeping bones and muscles strong.

Our bodies make vitamin D when sunlight hits our skin (hence the nickname, "the sunshine vitamin"). Fatty fish (like salmon and mackerel), eggs, and mushrooms contain modest amounts of vitamin D; it's also added to milk as well as to some yogurts, juices, and breakfast cereals.

Recommended vitamin D intake
400 IU/day for infants
600 IU/day for children ages 1 to 13
600 IU for everyone aged 14 to 70
800 IU for those age 71 and above

The recommended daily intake ranges from 400 international units (IU) a day to 800, depending on age (see "Recommended vitamin D intake"). However, many people—including health care professionals—often take even higher doses of vitamin D in supplement form as a hedge against chronic disease, despite clear evidence of a benefit.

"We're at a crossroads with vitamin D research because we really don't yet know if there's a cause and effect relationship between vitamin D status and outcomes such as heart disease and cancer," says Dr. JoAnn Manson, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of the division of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Low vitamin D levels might just be a marker for poor health, Dr. Manson explains. "If you're in poor health, you're not outdoors walking, biking, or doing other exercise," she says. Staying indoors more means you don't get the sun exposure to make vitamin D. In addition, people who are obese tend to have low vitamin D levels. Both obesity and lack of exercise contribute to higher rates of cancer and heart disease, so those factors could explain the illnesses, rather than a low vitamin D level.

We'll have a clearer picture of vitamin D's role in our health within a few years. A nationwide trial involving nearly 26,000 people led by Dr. Manson is underway, with results expected in late 2017. The VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL) aims to find out if taking 2,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D or fish oil tablets reduces the risk of cancer, heart disease, and stroke in people who don't currently have these illnesses.

In the meantime, there's no practical reason for most people to get a vitamin D test. But there are exceptions, says Dr. Manson. People who might need testing include those who:

• have osteoporosis or other bone-health problems
• have conditions that affect fat absorption, including celiac disease or weight-loss surgery
• routinely take medications that interfere with vitamin D activity, including anticonvulsants and glucocorticoids

The Institute of Medicine, which officially sets dietary reference intakes based on a thorough review of all available evidence, concluded that a vitamin D blood level of 20 ng/mL provides enough vitamin D for keeping bones healthy.

There's little additional benefit in going any higher, although a goal of 30 ng/mL is reasonable, says Dr. Manson. But some laboratories are recommending ranges that are well above 50 ng/mL, which is potentially dangerous, Dr. Manson cautions. Too much vitamin D can cause calcium to accumulate in your blood, which can damage your heart, blood vessels, and kidneys.

How can you make sure you're getting enough vitamin D? When possible, aim to get the recommended daily intake for your age from modest sun exposure, food. and a supplement if needed. How much sun is enough depends on where you live and the season. In the United States, it's difficult to make much vitamin D from sun exposure in the fall, winter, and spring if you live north of a line stretching from San Francisco to Richmond, Virginia (see map below).

If you don't get much vitamin D from sun or food, a supplement makes sense. Taking 1,000 or 2,000 international units (IU) a day of vitamin D is relatively safe. The safe upper limit is 4,000 IU a day, but keep in mind that there's very limited research on the long-term safety of taking that amount. "When it comes to vitamins, more is not necessarily better," Dr. Manson says.

Latitude and vitamin D production in the skin

Except during the summer months, the body makes little if any vitamin D from the sun at latitudes above 37 degrees north (in the United States, the shaded region in the map) or below 37 degrees south of the equator.

As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

I so disagree, my D level was in the tank when I woke up to this issue in late 2006….I was bordering on depression and I live in Sunny calif….but came in from years of being in the sun mostly due to cancer scares……plus I could not tolerate the sun like I did as a younger person….I'm 76.

Rachelle Heikkila

January 2, 2015

I live in Minnesota & I'm in my 40's & mine is below 4. I disagree. I have pain all over, depression like I've never had and THIS should be mandatory in my opinion.

lack of exercise contribute to higher rates of cancer and heart disease, so those factors could explain the illnesses, rather than a low vitamin D level. thank you for this information.

This article is very interesting. I am always with low levels of vitamin D. I also have dark skin so is more difficult for me to absorb sun rays to form vitamin D.

Thanks

Sara Johnz

December 21, 2014

Very much informative article. It is well known the relation between calcium , viteman D3 & osteopirosis. But I learned many new things from this article. I want to know the relation between vit D3 defficiency & control if Dia.

Vitamin D we can get in early morning sunrays

Prof Dr Hasina Bsnoo

December 15, 2014

Very much informative article. It is well known the relation between calcium , vit D3 & osteopirosis. But i learn many new things from this article. I want to know the relation berween vit D3 defficiency & control if Dia. Mellitus.My observation is in vit D3 defficiency , control of bl glucose is difficult & adding of D3 gives good result.

Vitamin D is the beneficial for human body. Thank for sharing this post.

isabel marshal

December 12, 2014

Vitamin D is utilized for counteracting and treating rickets, an illness that is brought about by not having enough vitamin D (vitamin D lack). Vitamin D is likewise utilized for treating powerless bones (osteoporosis), bone torment (osteomalacia), bone misfortune in individuals with a condition called hyperparathyroidism, and an inherited malady (osteogenesis imperfecta) in which the bones are particularly weak and effortlessly broken. It is additionally utilized for forestalling falls and breaks in individuals at danger for osteoporosis, and counteracting low calcium and bone misfortune (renal osteodystrophy) in individuals with kidney disappointment.

R.Prabhakar Rao

December 9, 2014

Sir,

Thank you for the research about vitamin D.It is highly
useful for all.

MutiaraPublic

December 7, 2014

Excuse me, I come from Indonesia. Good article above, and add to my knowledge, once again thank you very much.

Best Regards
MutiaraPublic.com

Vince Mioraglia

December 4, 2014

First when the same group found scant evidence to support routine PSA test or other cancer screening test the medical community particularly the groups benefiting the most $$$ went screaming and hollering about how many lives would be lost. The comment "The safe upper limit is 4,000 IU a day, but keep in mind that there's very limited research on the long-term safety of taking that amount. "When it comes to vitamins, more is not necessarily better," Dr. Manson says."… and yet largely because of the medical community sun exposure has been demonized to the point many are in fact far less than optimal….perhaps Dr. Manson should have noted that that policy has never been evaluated as to long term effects.The most reasonably position seems to be expressed here …. "Why the IOM recommendations for vitamin D are deficient.
Heaney RP1, Holick MF.
Author information
Abstract

The IOM recommendations for vitamin D fail in a major way on logic, on science, and on effective public health guidance. Moreover, by failing to use a physiological referent, the IOM approach constitutes precisely the wrong model for development of nutritional policy.

The fact is most studies on vitamin d use only small amouts often the wrong type D2 instead of D3.
PMID:
21337617
[PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]

A study done in 2011 Wiley-Blackwell. "Vitamin D can help elderly women survive, review suggests." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 6 July 2011. . noted The eight-strong international team of researchers identified 50 randomised trials that together had 94,148 participants. They had a mean age of 74 years, and 79% were women. "Our analyses suggest that vitamin D3 reduces mortality by about 6%. This means that you need to give about 200 people vitamin D3 for around two years to save one additional life," says Bjelakovic.

There were no significant benefits of taking other forms of vitamin D……"

Linda Grant

December 4, 2014

One MUST get it from both sources….food and sun to absorb calcium. Soooo why isn't it required in nursing homes to get lamp or outside exposure? Also, even the experts talk about one source w/o mentioning the other….if the goal is to absorb calcium then both sources must be used.

richard waters

December 4, 2014

Get tested, why wouldn't you want to know if you are deficient? My level was 22 after years of taking the rmd of "D". I also had osteoporosis and very low bone density. I raised my "D" to the mid 30s by taking 3,000 iu for years and over 8 years gained 35% in my spine and 23% in my hip. Pay no attention of expert advice unless you want untreated osteoporosis.
I have no idea why the experts are so intent on keeping people uninformed and possibly "D" deficient.

You said "I have no idea why the experts are so intent on keeping people uninformed and possibly "D" deficient." Reason number one,
Cognitive Dissonance runs rampant in the health care professions. Number two, health care professions stand to loose billions of dollars of annual revenue if the vitamin D deficiency is corrected.

Ralph De Gregorio

December 4, 2014

EDITOR: Some mushrooms are now irradiated, but most are not, and so will not contain vitamin D (label will state).

Dr. Pelz (Psychopharmacologically-trained Psychologist)

December 4, 2014

Vitamin D is operates as a 'hormone' that affects immune system regulation and functioning. In our modern society, many factors contribute to the likeihood that we do not have enough vitamin D: we do not go outside, sunblock, shirts, too hot , etc (all of these inhibit vitamin D levels). WHY not have vitamin D levels checked for patients with HEADACHES, FATIGUE, JOINT PAIN, Arthritis, Allergies, Eczema, etc (these are all influenced by imunne system functioning). In my practice, patients that have had low vitamin D often have other nutritional issues as well, inclduing low iron, B12 deficiency, etc. It may be more benficial to have nutrient deficiencies evaluated versus multiple prescription medications to address just the symptoms, and not the underlying cause(s).

I can't wait for the results of the VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL). I've been taking Omega-3 consistently for the past 14 years after I've had a quintuple bypass surgery at a young age. I also taken vitamin D off and on, after a blood test indicated that my vitamin D levels were low. I stopped taking vitamin D after reading mixed reviews.

very intereresting, thank you for this nice article. We will speak about it in our blog.

health couch

November 30, 2014

I think vitamin d us an important factor at human's body so we can get it from sunrays

Commenting has been closed for this post.

Daily Recommended Vitamin D

Source: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/vitamin-d-testing-recommended-people-201411267547

Share:

Read More