Vitamin D may be the most underappreciated nutrient around. New research suggests that vitamin D deficiency is far more common than previously thought and contributes to high blood pressure, cancer, metabolic syndrome and other disease processes. Here’s how to make sure vitamin D is put to advantage in your program.


When the subject of vitamin D is raised to most people, a big yawn results. “Vitamin D? I drink milk and get some sun. What more is there?”

That’s the traditional thinking about vitamin D. Children need vitamin D while growing to prevent rickets. Maybe a little is necessary to prevent osteoporosis in women. End of story.

New data, however, are suggesting a whole new panel of health effects previously unsuspected for this hugely underappreciated vitamin. It may, in fact, be among the most crucial of nutrients that even plays a role in coronary plaque growth.


Vitamin D—milk vs. sun

The recommended Adequate Intake for vitamin D (by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences) is between 200–400 units per day. There are only a few sources of dietary vitamin D. An 8 oz glass of milk contains 100 units (though not always—inconsistency reigns). Other dairy products, like cheese and yogurt, tend to have little or no vitamin D added. Oily fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines contain 200–360 units per 3 ½ ounce serving. Many breakfast cereals (a high glycemic index food!) contain modest amounts of around 40 units. Fifty percent or more of people fail to obtain the modest recommended intake every day. Strict vegetarians who avoid dairy products and fish and lactose intolerant individuals are especially likely to have insufficient dietary intakes.

The primary source for vitamin D is sun exposure. Humans evolved in a semi-tropical climate with plenty of skin area exposed and substantial amounts of time outdoors. The human body therefore adapted to obtaining unlimited vitamin D by this route. How much do you get (if you’re Caucasian) during 20 minutes of midday sun exposure in summer, wearing a short sleeve shirt and shorts? Around 20,000 units. Compare that to the 100 units in a glass of milk. Sunlight therefore provides 200 times more vitamin D than most of us obtain through food. Interestingly, even the relatively high quantities of vitamin D created by sunlight don’t lead to toxic quantities. Lifeguards and other people who spend extended periods in the sun never suffer vitamin D excess.

People with greater sun exposure have less cancer (the data are particularly compelling for colorectal and prostate; increased skin cancer with excessive exposure is another issue), lower blood pressure, and suffer substantially fewer heart attacks. A British group conducted an exhaustive study tabulating the rate of heart attack with latitude and a clear-cut increase in heart attack occurs the farther away from the equator you are. Several studies have also documented a surge in heart attacks in winter, a sharp drop in summer. These observations have sparked a serious re-examination of the truly healthful dose of vitamin D.

How much is enough?

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