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Vitamin D Deficiency: How Much Do Adults Really Need?
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Vitamin D is the name given to a group of fat-soluble vitamins found in cod liver oil and fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel. These vitamins are essential for the absorption of calcium, iron, phosphate, magnesium, and zinc. Cholecalciferol – also known as vitamin D3 – is made by skin cells when ultraviolet rays (specifically UV-B radiation) from sunlight fall on skin.
All forms of vitamin D – from sun exposure, food, and supplements – are not active and must undergo two chemical reactions within your body to get activated.
The first reaction takes place in the liver and converts vitamin D to 25-hydroxyvitamin D. This form of vitamin D is used to determine a person’s vitamin D status. The second chemical reaction takes place in the kidneys to make the active form, known as 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D.
Vitamin D helps to maintain blood levels of calcium and phosphate, ensuring that bones are mineralized and healthy. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), “Without sufficient vitamin D, bones can become thin, brittle, or misshapen.”
How Does Vitamin D Deficiency Occur?
Vitamin D deficiency happens when consumption is lower than recommended levels, exposure to sunlight is limited, the kidneys don’t convert 25-hydroxy vitamin D to its active form, or when absorption from the gut is not enough.
As vitamin D is commonly added to milk products, having a milk allergy or lactose intolerance – and practicing ovo-vegetarianism and veganism (where no dairy is consumed) can also lead to lower levels of vitamin D.
Common Signs of Vitamin D Deficiency
One of the classic symptoms of vitamin D deficiency is head sweating. Excessive sweating in newborns is considered to be a common, early symptom of vitamin D deficiency.
Another symptom of vitamin D deficiency in children is rickets, in which bone tissue doesn’t mineralize properly, leading to bone softness and skeletal deformities.
Fortification of milk with vitamin D has made rickets a rare disease in the U.S. today. However, using excessive sunscreen and spending a lot of time indoors with limited sun exposure as well as genetic differences in metabolism can still lead to rickets in children today.
Vitamin D Deficiency in Adults: How Much Do You Need?
A common symptom of vitamin D deficiency in adults is osteomalacia – a condition in which bones become soft and there is aching, throbbing bone pain. This is a result of impaired bone metabolism due to inadequate levels of phosphate, calcium, and vitamin D. Another symptom is muscle weakness.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Vitamin D deficiency is an under-diagnosed condition that has now been associated with a higher risk of type 1 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, cognitive decline, depression, pregnancy complications, autoimmunity, and allergy.
In their 2013 report, the Mayo Clinic researchers also reported that low levels of vitamin D during pregnancy and infancy appear to increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, type 1 diabetes, and multiple sclerosis (MS) in later life.
While there is general consensus that too little vitamin D is detrimental, there is an ongoing debate about the levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D needed for optimum health, especially bone health.
A committee of the Institute of Medicine in Washington, D.C. agreed that people are at risk of vitamin D deficiency at levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D that are less than 30 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L) or 12 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). Further, the committee stated that people are at risk for inadequacy at levels ranging from 30-50 nmol/L or 12-20 ng/mL.
According to the Institute, everyone has “sufficient” vitamin D at levels equal to or greater than 50 nmol/L or 20 ng/mL. However, blood levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D more than 125 nmol/L or 50 ng/mL have been linked to potential adverse effects.
In 2011, The Endocrine Society stated that the desirable blood level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D is greater than 75 nmol/L (30 ng/mL) for achieving optimal effects on calcium, bone, and muscle metabolism.
To attain these levels, they recommend 1,500-2,000 International Units (IU) daily of supplemental vitamin D as the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for adults and 1,000 IU daily for children and adolescents.
However, as later developments show, this recommendation is off… and by a very large margin too.
The “Mistaken” Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for Vitamin D?
Researchers at UC San Diego and Creighton University have challenged the RDA for vitamin D recommended by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Institute of Medicine (IOM). According to the university researchers NAS-IOM got their math wrong and underestimated the RDA by a staggering factor of ten!
According to Dr. Cedric F. Garland, Adjunct Professor at UC San Diego’s Department of Family Medicine and Public Health,
“The error has broad implications for public health regarding disease prevention and achieving the stated goal of ensuring that the whole population has enough vitamin D to maintain bone health.”
Robert Heaney, MD, of Creighton University, further wrote:
“We call for the NAS-IOM and all public health authorities…to designate, as the RDA, a value of approximately 7,000 IU/day from all sources.”
This revised recommendation is well below 10,000 IU/day, the designated safe upper limit for teens and adults.
Who’s at Risk for Vitamin D Deficiency?
Getting enough vitamin D from dietary sources alone is difficult. Consuming fortified foods and sufficient exposure to sunlight are both essential for avoiding symptoms of vitamin D deficiency. Dietary supplements may also be necessary.
The following situations can lead to vitamin D deficiency:
- Breastfeeding – vitamin D requirements cannot be met by human milk alone. Most cases of nutritional rickets take place among young, breastfed African Americans. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that exclusively and partially breastfed infants be supplemented daily with 400 IU of vitamin D.
- Age – older adults are at increased risk of developing vitamin D insufficiency because their skin cannot synthesize vitamin D as efficiently as they age, they are likely to spend more time indoors, and they may not consume enough of it in their diet. It is estimated that as many as half of the older adults in the U.S. with hip fractures could be suffering from vitamin D deficiency.
- Limited sun exposure – homebound people, men and women who wear long robes and head coverings for religious reasons, and people with occupations that limit their sun exposure are unlikely to obtain enough vitamin D from sunlight.
- Dark skin – higher levels of melanin significantly reduce the skin’s ability to produce vitamin D from sunlight. However, it is not clear whether lower blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in people with dark skin has the same health consequences that it does in lighter-skinned people.
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other conditions causing fat malabsorption – because vitamin D is fat-soluble, its absorption depends on the gut’s ability to absorb dietary fat. Individuals who cannot properly absorb dietary fat – because of liver disease, cystic fibrosis, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis – will require vitamin D supplementation.
- Obesity – a body mass index (BMI) equal to or greater than 30 is associated with lower blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels. Obese people need to consume more vitamin D, since subcutaneous fat binds and stores 25-hydroxyvitamin D, delaying its release into the blood.
Is Osteoporosis a Symptom of Vitamin D Deficiency?
More than 40 million adults in the U.S. have or are at risk of developing osteoporosis, in which low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue increases bone fragility and significantly increases fracture risk. Along with inadequate calcium consumption, insufficient vitamin D contributes to osteoporosis by reducing calcium absorption.
Maintaining proper storage levels of vitamin D supports bone strength which in turn can help to prevent osteoporosis in older adults, individuals who have difficulty exercising, and postmenopausal women.
Turmeric 3D from Organixx provides you one of the most “bioavailable” forms of turmeric due to its unique fermentation process. This means your body experiences the maximum benefits of the purest, most potent turmeric available!
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Article Summary
Vitamin D is the name given to a group of fat-soluble vitamins found in cod liver oil and fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel.
All forms of vitamin D – from sun exposure, food, and supplements – are not active and must undergo two chemical reactions within your body to get activated. The first takes place in the liver and the second in the kidneys.
Vitamin D helps to maintain blood levels of calcium and phosphate, ensuring that bones are mineralized and healthy.
Vitamin D deficiency happens when consumption is lower than recommended levels, exposure to sunlight is limited, the kidneys don’t convert 25-hydroxy vitamin D to its active form, or when absorption from the gut is not enough.
Vitamin D deficiency is an under-diagnosed condition that has now been associated with a higher risk of type 1 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, cognitive decline, depression, pregnancy complications, autoimmunity, and allergy.
The following situations can lead to vitamin D deficiency:
- Breastfeeding
- Age
- Limited sun exposure
- Dark skin
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other conditions causing fat malabsorption
- Obesity
Maintaining proper storage levels of vitamin D supports bone strength which in turn can help to prevent osteoporosis.
Never forget the importance of Vitamin K in this debate about osteoporosis, bone density and Vitamin D and also the synergistic effect of all the fat soluble vitamins and eating healthy fats to make them bio-available.
Naked at noon in the sun is the best to get your Vitamin D:)
Always take VitD3 with K2 and Magnesium.
The Information about Taking VitD3 is oke but it needs more.
I tou are interested, check out “Magnesium Advocacy Group” on FB.
Totally different point of view on D and it works.
Vitamin K2, preferably Menaquinone-7 (MK-7), is needed for proper activation of a protein which removes free calcium in the blood and into the bones, where it belongs. This is critical when dosing with Vitamin D because calcification of blood vessels, heart valves and other tissues can be damaged without this regulation and especially so if large doses of Vitamin D (D3) are taken.
Vitamin K is important for proper blood clotting and is distinct from K2.
Great point, I was wondering how did they missed about vit K2mk7 in this article?!
I know from other sources that anyone above 6years old who takes 1000iu of vit d3 or more need to take 200mcg 9f k2mk7.
Yes!! I take K2 everyday with my vitamin D3
I just watched a video with Dr.Tom and he said the best D3 is Micellized. Is this a fact? And, what benefit does this have vs the Turmeric D3?
I took Turmeric D3 and it was good for us (me and my husband). It's a bit pricey though but worth the money if you'd like something natural that really work. It seems what is natural and good is expensive too, like food – junk food is cheap, natural food is expensive. So, let’s be optimistic.
My husband is recovering from bladder cancer, and he has been told by a world expert (not for any payment ) that he should optimise his vitamin D and take Turmeric but with cucurmine which is amazing for dealing with cancer
I agree with Anna. I bought it as well. It is pricey but it is excellent. I had been diagnosed with Vit. D deficiency and I would not take any old tablet only a trusted source. Note what went into the making of it as well. Has anyone else done better? No!
Alleluia great advice some sources use additives so paying that bit more is vital to be optimised without all the added non organic extras.
I think it depends on who you listen to & what product they sell. There is no perfect amount or kind for anyone. You have to find what works for you. We are all different & need different things. It also depends on what you can afford.
The best vitamin D3 comes from the sun. Otherwise just buy the cheapest vitamin D3 that you can find. Ignore the power of advertising and save yourself a lot of money.
You get what you pay for. All supplements are not created equal.
The article stated that Vitamin D deficiency is an under-diagnosed condition that has now been associated with a higher risk of type 1 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancers, cognitive decline, depression, pregnancy complications, autoimmunity, allergy and Autism. While there is not yet a cause or effect conclusion, the disease is also associated with almost all auto immune diseases, and increasing the vitamin D in people with auto immune diseases does reduce the symptoms.
It would be good if the article also suggested a diet that contains sufficient amount of vitamin D3, eg if you eat yogurt, drink milk. The article does not mention an importance of K2 vitamin that directs D3 absorption.
Regarding absorption, my doctor ran a Genomic Analysis on me and I discovered that my Vitamin D receptor was switched off. I had low levels of vitamin D3 even after taking K2 etc for years prior to Oct, 2016. Then she told me that the only way to switch that receptor on was to eat about a quarter of an avocado almost daily. The blood test result came back just last week from 121 to 181, so that certainly worked for me!! The fact is, people should not bother with self 'medicating'. There is no one size fits all when it comes to health. Best to pay for specific tests that give a complete picture.
Hi,
I just watched the same video with Dr. Tom as well, and I have the same question as Shirline.
Thanks.