Take medications that affect how quickly you process vitamin D (such as phenytoin or orlistat) Have obesity or have undergone gastric bypass surgery You might be at risk for vitamin D deficiency if you:Īre older (the ability to make vitamin D decreases with age) To start, some people are more likely than others to have trouble getting enough vitamin D. However, there is limited scientific data to suggest that supplementation beyond daily recommended amounts is required or helpful. Vitamin D deficiency may increase your risk of heart disease and certain cancers, too. In theory, that can increase the risk of falls, although the evidence is mixed. In many clinical trials, vitamin D supplementation to achieve 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels of 28 to 40 ng/mL lowered fracture risk.Īlso, without vitamin D, you may experience muscle weakness. That’s why young children who don’t get enough vitamin D can develop rickets, and older adults can experience osteoporosis and fractures. Vitamin D is a hormone we need to absorb calcium and phosphorus from our diets, and calcium and phosphorus are minerals critical to bone health. However, a vitamin D level less than 20 ng/mL is considered deficient by most groups, and severe deficiency is defined as a vitamin D level of less than 12 ng/mL. To further complicate things, expert groups don’t agree on what level is considered deficient. The test measures your 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels. In other words, most adults don’t need to be tested unless they are at high risk for having low vitamin D (see below).Ī simple blood test with your primary care doctor will tell you if you are vitamin D deficient. How do you know if you are vitamin D deficient?įirst, it’s important to know that there’s no reason to screen for vitamin D deficiency. Remember not to spend too much time in the sun, because too much exposure increases your risk of skin cancer. In order to get enough, you should get 5 to 30 minutes of exposure to sunlight every day, so your skin can make vitamin D naturally. That’s because your skin makes vitamin D when it sees the sun. The best way to get your daily vitamin D is through exposure to sunlight. This is according to most medical expert societies, but the amount recommended by the FDA is 20 mcg per day, or 800 IU (1 mcg vitamin D is equal to 40 IU). For those pregnant or breastfeeding, 600 IU is recommended. ![]() The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin D for adults up to age 70 is 600 IU, with the RDA increasing to 800 IU above age 70.
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