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Do You Need a Vitamin D Supplement? Everything to Know

https://www.everydayhealth.com/vitamin-d/you-...d=56968016


How Much Vitamin D Should You Be Getting?

Adults need 600 international units (IU) of vitamin D each day (800 IU if you’re over age 70), which can be sourced through diet, sunlight, or supplements. Because very few foods have enough vitamin D to reach those levels, and sunshine can be unreliable in certain climates, many Americans turn to vitamin D supplements to get their fill.

Men and women relying on sourcing vitamin D through diet alone typically don’t exceed 288 IU a day on average.

But when supplements are added, they get closer to the 600 IU goal. Consider this: Women between ages 51 and 70, who averaged 156 IU through the diet-only approach, reached 404 IU with the help of supplements.


Why Certain People May Need a Vitamin D Supplement

Why are some groups at greater risk of low vitamin D levels? In most cases, it can be traced back to their diet or lifestyle. Take vegans, for instance. Many have low vitamin D levels because they avoid foods that are rich in vitamin D — including meat, fish, egg yolks, and dairy products that have been fortified with the vitamin.

One study found vitamin D serum concentration was 34 percent lower among study participants who followed a vegan diet compared with those who ate meat and dairy.

People with obesity also may need a supplement. Research suggests the possible reasons for deficiency include a lower dietary intake of vitamin D among obese men compared with non-obese men and women, the possibility that obese people expose less skin to the sun (not due to poorer absorption alone), and a decrease in the absorption rate of vitamin D among people who’ve had bariatric or gastric bypass procedures. Indeed, one study suggests recommendations for vitamin D targets should be based on body weight rather than simply suggesting 600 IU for everyone across the board.


As for older people, they’re at risk because they’re more likely to spend time indoors but also because the process of synthesizing vitamin D from food or sunshine becomes less efficient as people age, research suggests.

Finally, people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes should also consider supplements. Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to the onset of diabetes, because the vitamin reduces inflammation and helps regulate insulin release by the body’s pancreatic beta cells, according to one study.

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