Probably the biggest news on vitamin D in a while...

functional pharmacy how much vitamin d should i take marketing nutrition pharmacy pharmacy marketing rda for vitamin d vitamin d Mar 23, 2016

Let's face it, you know the importance of optimizing vitamin D levels, I know the importance, but we both hear our customers say that their vitamin D was tested and their doctors say it was normal when in fact it was probably 'old skool' normal.

Have you ever had someone ask for 1000 iu's of vitamin D, and you know they probably need more?

What is the average daily dose that you recommend?

Over the years I would say, 2000 iu's is a good daily dose, but best to have your levels tested to optimize, when the whole time, I take 5000 iu's daily, while not being shy of the sunshine and this holds my levels at a happy 60 to 70 ng/ml.

This is why I was ecstatic to hear about the latest news, how a group of researchers are calling for an adjustment of the RDA...TEN TIMES HIGHER!

According to researchers from Canada and the U.S., the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM), messed up the math when they ran the numbers for vitamin D in developing the RDA for this critical nutrient. The researchers believe people should actually consume ten times more vitamin D every day than current RDA suggests.

Published in the journal Nutrients, Canadian research team reviewed each of the 10 studies the IOM used to arrive at their RDA and their calculations revealed that 600 IU of vitamin D each day, the current RDA, puts only half the amount that they assumed in the blood. A team of American researchers wrote a letter supporting the Canadian researchers' findings.

"The error has broad implications for public health regarding disease prevention and achieving the stated goal of ensuring that the whole population has enough vitamin D to maintain bone health," Dr. Cederic Garland, adjunct professor at University of California, San Diego, wrote in the letter. He and his team called for the NAS and the IOM to designate an RDA of 7,000 IU from all sources.

These suggestions fall in line with dosages that are often used to optimize people's vitamin D levels via blood test. Where levels below 20 ng/ml represents severe deficiency, levels of 32 ng/ml represent a minimum adequate level, above 40 ng/ml is more ideal, and 50 to 60 or higher are considered to be optimal.

Taking the RDA has left the majority of the population severely deficient, further suggesting the RDA needs to be dramatically adjusted.

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