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Important
Research On Vitamin D
A
single nutrient that keeps bones strong, wards off
diabetes, and protects against tuberculosis, cancer,
colds, and the flu. Sound too good to be true? Well it
is true, but you're almost certainly not getting enough.
Research
on vitamin D has flooded out over the past few months,
linking a growing array of health ills to low levels of
the nutrient. Scientists now know that the vitamin,
which is naturally produced in skin exposed to the sun's
ultraviolet rays, binds to cell receptors throughout the
body and that a lack can cause various systems to
malfunction.
How
much to take? The government last year suggested that
African-Americans and the elderly might want more than
the guidelines suggest, but it has set 2,000 IUs as its
ceiling for safety. Most experts think the limit is too
conservative, noting that there's no evidence of
toxicity at much higher doses and that 2,000 IUs is a
worthy goal for everybody. Consuming 3 ounces of tuna,
two glasses of milk, and a glass of fortified orange
juice will get you to 500 IUs, and a supplement or two
will get you the rest.
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