Copyright 2010 American Dietetic Association. This handout may be duplicated for patient education.
What Does Vitamin D Do?
Vitamin D is important to bone health. It helps your body
absorb calcium, which helps build healthy bones.
Low levels of vitamin D in the body may increase the risk of:
Breast, colon, and prostate cancers
•
Depressed moods, poor brain function, and more severe
•
dementia in older adults
Tuberculosis and pneumonia
•
Bacterial infections and gum disease
•
Autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and
•
type 1 diabetes
How Do You Get Vitamin D?
You can get vitamin D from many foods. Also, when exposed
to sunlight, your body makes some vitamin D.
Sun exposure does not usually supply enough vitamin D
to meet your body’s needs. Sunscreen protects you from
harmful UV rays, but it also limits the vitamin D your body
can produce from sun exposure.
How Much Vitamin D Do You Need?
The amount of vitamin D that you need each day changes
as you age. The following recommendations are for healthy
individuals. They assume that a person will not make vitamin
D through sun exposure.
Ages 50 years or younger: 200 international units (IU) vitamin D per day
•
Ages 51–70 years: 400 IU vitamin D per day
•
Older than 70 years: 600 IU vitamin D per day.
•
People who take the following medications may need more vitamin D:
Corticosteroid medications, such as prednisone
•
Orlistat (brand names Xenical and Alli)
•
Cholestyramine (brand names Questran, LoCholest, and Prevalite)
•
Seizure medications, such as phenobarbital and dilantin
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