Why vitamin D has the medical establishment totally confused

At some point in the last decade, screening blood for vitamin D levels became a routine part of medical care. Feeling a little low this winter? Get a vitamin D test. Think you didn't get enough sun last summer? Check your vitamin D levels.

A Tortured Love of Vitamin D

Why it may never be possible to recommend that everyone take a supplement—as much as people want to believe.

Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D?

No matter how old you are or where you live, there's a good chance that you could be deficient in vitamin D. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that an estimated 1 billion people worldwide have inadequate amounts of vitamin D in their blood.

Cold: And the Winner Is...

Since so many of us fall victim to this almost, if not definitely, yearly, most Americans want to improve their immune system so as to be less likely to contract one. And if you walk through a pharmacy you'll notice plenty of supplements touting the "immune-boosting" powers of Vitamin C, echinacea, and all sorts of other herbs and vitamins. The scientific and medical community, however, are still debating the efficacy of such supplements. Despite that, one vitamin has come to the spotlight with some very convincing evidence: vitamin D.

Do You Need to Take Vitamin D?

Most healthy adults do not need to take vitamin D supplements. Extra vitamin D does not improve health in those without bone disease. Get your vitamin D the old fashioned way •Sun exposure (in limited quantities) •Healthy diet, including foods fortified with vitamin D

Does Vitamin D Really Protect Against Colorectal Cancer?

It's been clear for many years that vitamin D helps keep bones strong, but studies have been inconclusive and conflicting about the vitamin's value in protecting against certain cancers, including colorectal cancer.

Huge Study Identifies Important Vitamin for Women Over 50

Some great news was just released that is sure to make big believers in the power of vitamin D smile... and maybe just a little smug. Not only is this little "vitamin that could" essential for keeping our brain cells healthy and percolating as we age, but taken with calcium, it offers a host of other health benefits, too.

Mayo Clinic’s Stunning Vitamin D Research

In essence, they sat down in front of a computer, typed the words vitamin D supplementation into medically oriented search engines, and read everything. If there’s one single take-away from today’s health tip, it’s that quite likely you yourself are deficient in vitamin D and you’d be wise to do something about it.

Supplements - So Which Ones Should We Really be Taking?

Have you taken your vitamins today? But are they really necessary or a waste of your hard earned money. A healthy, balanced diet may be all you really need!

The Man Who Sold America on Vitamin D—and Profited in the Process

The doctor most responsible for turning the sunshine supplement into a billion-dollar juggernaut has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the vitamin D industry, according to government records and interviews.

The Vitamin D Debate

There’s been a lot of controversy lately about vitamin D recommendations. If you’re confused about how much you should be taking, you’re not alone.

Vitamin D And Calcium Controversy

Don't let the headlines get the best of your bones! Calcium and vitamin D are essential to maintaining healthy bones straight through perimenopause and menopause. Luckily, if you eat a healthy diet, they are more than attainable -- they are inevitable!

Vitamin D deficiency

The main reasons for low levels of vitamin D are: ●Lack of vitamin D in the diet, often in conjunction with inadequate sun exposure ●Inability to absorb vitamin D from the intestines ●Inability to process vitamin D due to kidney or liver disease

Vitamin D Deficiency including Osteomalacia and Rickets

Adequate vitamin D3 by synthesis in the skin and from dietary and supplemental sources is essential for bone health throughout life. Rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults are the classic but extreme manifestations of severe vitamin D deficiency

Vitamin D supplements are widely overused, doctors warn

Doctors are warning about vitamin D again, and it’s not the “we need more” news you might expect. Instead, they say there’s too much needless testing and too many people taking too many pills for a problem that few people truly have.

Vitamin D supplements may prevent millions of winter infections

If everyone took vitamin D supplements, more than 3 million fewer people in the UK would have respiratory infections like colds or flu every year. That’s according to a new analysis of data from nearly 11,000 people.

Vitamin D vs. Common Cold: And the Winner Is...

Since so many of us fall victim to this almost, if not definitely, yearly, most Americans want to improve their immune system so as to be less likely to contract one. And if you walk through a pharmacy you'll notice plenty of supplements touting the "immune-boosting" powers of Vitamin C, echinacea, and all sorts of other herbs and vitamins. The scientific and medical community, however, are still debating the efficacy of such supplements. Despite that, one vitamin has come to the spotlight with some very convincing evidence: vitamin D.

Vitamin D, the Sunshine Supplement, Has Shadowy Money Behind It

The doctor most responsible for creating a billion-dollar juggernaut has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the vitamin D industry.

Vitamin D: What You Need To Know

Hardly a day goes by without some groundbreaking news about Vitamin D. Originally known for it's crucial role in maintaining calcium levels for bone health, it is rapidly becoming apparent that we have vastly underestimated Vitamin D's significant importance for our overall health and wellbeing.

Should everyone be taking vitamin D?

Vitamin D is said to help stave off fatigue, depression and even cancer. But some experts argue that for people with healthy levels, supplements are not helpful. What’s the reality?

Can Vitamin D Help Fight Covid-19?

Studies under way around the world are examining whether the ‘sunshine vitamin’ can help prevent or treat the new coronavirus.

Do You Need to Take Vitamin D?

Most healthy adults do not need to take vitamin D supplements. Extra vitamin D does not improve health in those without bone disease. Get your vitamin D the old fashioned way •Sun exposure (in limited quantities) •Healthy diet, including foods fortified with vitamin D

Everything you ever wanted to know about vitamin D

Knowing your vitamin D levels might not be as important as you think.

Millions of Americans take vitamin D. Most should just stop.

Outside of rare cases, rigorous studies of the supplement don’t find any health benefit.

Don’t trust the internet on vitamin D

Even world-class medical organizations are down on vitamin D pills, including Britain's National Health Service. In its advice, the body says that "most people don't need to take vitamin supplements and are able to get all the vitamins and minerals they need by eating a healthy, balanced diet." The British Heart Foundation agrees, saying that "there are no shortcuts when it comes to nutrition -- supplements are not a replacement for healthy food." They're right, and those snake-oil peddlers down at the drugstore are wrong, right? Not so much.

Expert Advice: The Dynamic Duo D3 + K2

When you see vitamins D3 and K2 together in a single supplement, it’s meant for keeping your bones strong and healthy...

Your vitamin D tests and supplements are probably a waste of money

Screening for vitamin D has exploded — with no good evidence that it helps people.

Study Examines Vitamin D3's Potential Effects On Blood Vessels

In the ongoing debate about which supplements are useful and which aren’t, just a few continue to surface with evidence-based benefits. Among those, vitamin D3 is already near the top of the list – and a new study just added another reason to consider it, especially if you're at risk for or already have heart disease.

Study Finds Another Condition That Vitamin D Pills Do Not Help

The vitamin pills do not prevent bone fractures in most people or protect against many other diseases, adding to questions about medical guidance many now take for granted.

The health benefits of sunlight: Can vitamin D help beat coronavirus?

We’ll learn more from randomised, controlled clinical trials that are currently under way, but for now the evidence that vitamin D supplements can prevent severe illness is pretty weak. But the importance of vitamin D for our bones isn’t in doubt and many of us simply aren’t getting enough.