Vitamin D Guide

Written by Adrian Wozniak

Common names     * Vitamin D, Calciferol, Cholecalciferol Recommended Intake     * Males and females 19-50 yrs: 5 ug/day (200 IU/day)     * Males and females 51-70 yrs: 10 ug/day (400 IU/day)     * Males and females > 70 yrs: 15 ug/day (600 IU/day) Note: these intakes assume no vitamin D is being synthesized in the body from sunlight What's Vitamin D for?     * Maintains levels of calcium and phosphorous in the body, thus assisting in bone and teeth formation     * Prevents bone deformation diseases, such as rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults     * Assists in immune function, cell growth, and fetal development     * Lately, it has been shown to lower cancer risk Best Food sources     * Synthesized in the skin upon exposure to the UV rays in sunlight     * Fatty fish sources, such as cod liver oil, salmon, tuna, sardines, and mackerel     * Milk and some breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamin D     * Egg yolk, beef liver, swiss cheese