New Research findings: Vitamin D and disease Reduction, Vitamin D supplements

Several studies (vrant WB, Boucher BJ, 2011) have done regarding provision of adequate amounts of vitamin D and its association with disease reduction. It is a well known fact that vitamin D prevents rickets and osteomalacia. Apart from that, these studies have found that adequate vitamin D is also helpful in reducing the risks of following diseases.

• Various types of cancer
• Heart diseases and other vascular diseases
• Neurological disorders
• Diabetes Mellitus
• Autoimmune diseases
• Some of the bacterial and viral infections

These studies have used more than 400 IU/day of vitamin D. To avoid hypovitaminosis D-related diseases one should have serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations of 30-60 ng/ml. To achieve this target, one should get 1,000-4,000 IU/day of vitamin D either through ski production or oral intake. 

To get adequate skin vitamin D production, one should have adequate exposure to sunlight which provides ultra violate B rays, which is necessary for vitamin D production in the skin. Usually dietary supply of vitamin D is only adequate for the avoidance of vitamin D related bone diseases. Therefore, to have other disease protective effect, people should take vitamin D supplements.

Grant WB, Boucher BJ.,2011,Requirements for Vitamin D across the life span.Pubmed. [Online] Available at<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=serum%2025-hydroxyvitamin%20D%20concentrations%20of%2030-60%20ng%2Fml%201%2C000-4%2C000%20IU%2Fday%20of%20vitamin%20D>[Accessed 9 February 2011]