Dr. Michael Holick, vitamin D researcher at BU
My own doctor told me....
A year ago, my personal physician told me to start taking 1000 IU daily of vitamin D, after my blood levels tested too low (19.4). She told me vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption, which is of course important for maintaining bone density. But after taking 1000 IU every day for a year, I had my blood tested this month, and my vitamin D was just barely within the desired range of 32-100, just 36.4. I was disappointed. My doc said I needed to shoot for the middle of the 32-100 range.So I asked my pharmacist...
I asked my pharmacist about it and he said the recommended dose is now 1500 to 2000 IU. He already knew that - in advance of the new Science News. So I bought a "pill splitter" for $2.17 and now Ken and I are both taking 1500 IU of vitamin D per day.
On the left, our $2.17 pill splitter so we can cut 1000 IU tablets in half and take 1500 IU per day. The bottle of vitamin D on the right is $2.54 for 100 tablets.
More benefits? "Absolutely"
Are there other benefits of vitamin D in addition to increasing calcium absorption? Absolutely, says Dr. Holick of Boston University (the Science News article). He says that in a trial of postmenopausal women, taking vitamin D over 4 years reduced their risk of cancer by 60%.The Science News article also says that vitamin D deficiency has been linked to increased risks of infectious diseases, cancer, autoimmune diseases, heart disease, cognitive decline, Parkinson's disease, asthma, mood disorders and diabetes. Dr. Holick says a Japanese study found that children receiving 1,200 IU of vitamin D per day reduced their risk of getting the flu by almost 50%.
That's all great. I mainly just want to keep my bones healthy. I can't bask in the sun to generate enough vitamin D; I'm too fair-skinned - I get burned and have had a couple of skin cancers already. Anyway, Ken read today that if you live north of Georgia in the U.S., there is no way you can get enough vitamin D in winter just from exposure to sunlight. And we do live north of Georgia.
Look around for a cheap brand - the price varies tremendously
So we're taking the 1500 IU per day of vitamin D, and hoping for the best.Btw, I learned that my local pharmacist keeps an off-brand behind the counter that's much cheaper than the vitamin D brands on his display shelves. But I have to specifically ask for it, since it's out of sight. The bottle in the photo is the one behind the counter - it's $2.54 for 100 tablets. That's a very good price. (The brand is "Major", manufactured by "Major Pharmaceuticals".)
To read the entire interview in Science News with Dr. Holick, click here.
Key words: vitamin D recommended dose bone density bone health vitamin D benefits Michael Hollick
