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Get Your Vitamin D Here Check out these foods to get more vitamin for your bite 
Unless it's added to products like milk, margarine or cereal, vitamin D doesn't naturally occur in our food supply in significant amounts, and the edibles it does appear in aren't always the most appetizing. These include cod liver oil, salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines as well as small percentages in egg yolks and beef liver. "The plant world is virtually devoid of vitamin D," says Hector F. DeLuca, Ph.D, Steenbock Research Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "The way we were meant to get it was via skin irradiation." Spending as little as five to 30 minutes in the sun (sans sunscreen) at least two times a week is thought to be enough to prevent deficiencies. But dermatologists are crying foul because even the smallest amount of exposure to ultraviolet rays can increase your risk for skin cancer. "I respect that," DeLuca says. "Luckily you can take it by mouth and still absorb it." Supplemental vitamin D needs vary with age, weight, skin color, where you live, the time of year and other factors, such as diet. But before you down a handful of sunshine pills, keep in mind that it is possible to overdo it with the D. Vitamin D toxicity can raise blood levels of calcium, causing mental status changes such as confusion and heart rhythm abnormalities. Exactly how much is too much? That's still up for debate in the U.S. The Food and Nutrition Board at the Institute of Medicine recommends an Adequate Intake of 200 to 600 IUs, depending on age, and the Tolerable Upper Intake Levels are 1,000 IUs for birth to 12 months, and 2,000 IUs for everyone else. However, more and more scientists are calling to increase these recommendations, perhaps even as high as 10,000 IU. DeLuca, for example, takes 2,000 to 3,000 units a day. The hard data isn't solid enough right now to make new recommendations. But the IOM is currently engaged in a 24-month study of Vitamin D, which may result in new guidelines. The results will be released by May 2010. |
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