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Vitamin D Myths 'D'-bunked

Based on the United States Dietary Association (USDA) and National Health and Nutrition Surveys (and using 20ng/mL as the lower limit), the bulk of the population is not vitamin D-deficient. The population we tend to see vitamin D deficiency in—and it’s typically in wintertime—are breastfed infants. Breast milk doesn't have much vitamin D in it. That's what spurred a recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics that every breastfed infant be given vitamin D (if they're being given liquid multivitamin drops, they're getting enough of it). But if infants aren't given multivitamin drops, they need to be given 200 IU a day of vitamin D for the first two months of life and 400 units a day…

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 Vitamin D deficiency is widely overestimated, U.S. 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. The nutrient is crucial for strong bones and may play a role in other health conditions, though that is far less certain. Misunderstandings about the recommended amount of vitamin D have led to misinterpretation of blood tests and many people thinking they need more than they really do,

 Why Are So Many People Popping Vitamin D?

There was no reason for the patients to receive vitamin D tests. They did not have osteoporosis; their bones were not cracking from a lack of the vitamin. They did not have diseases that interfere with vitamin D absorption. Yet in a recent sample of 800,000 patients in Maine, nearly one in five had had at least one test for blood levels of the vitamin over a three-year period. More than a third got two or more tests, often to evaluate such ill-defined complaints as malaise or fatigue.

Articles of Interest

Controversies surrounding vitamin D deficiency

There are still unanswered questions surrounding the impact of vitamin D deficiency, its association with long term problems and its true impact on health. Research is ongoing, with several studies in progress at the present time. However, as a recent article in the BMJ suggested, clinicians should avoid costly measurement of blood levels in asymptomatic patients and concentrate on encouraging better lifestyles and targeting risk factors in those at increased risk.

Is the “pandemic” of vitamin D deficiency exaggerated?

While researchers and health authorities make up their minds, my advice is to keep checking your vitamin D, and target higher than the bare minimum to safeguard yourself against disease. Let’s hope that this latest influential New England Journal article doesn’t embolden insurers to be even more stingy about paying for proper vitamin D screening and monitoring!

Is vitamin D overrated?

Vitamin D tests don’t accurately reflect vitamin D status, i.e., whether or not we need vitamin D supplementation, so we needn’t test frequently and obsessively. Megadosing vitamin D is unnatural. While many studies show that low vitamin D is associated with a wide variety of ailments, correlation is not causation. It may be that inflammation saps the body’s vitamin D reserves; obesity lowers vitamin D by sequestering D in fat cells and keeping it out of the blood circulation; other illnesses cause vitamin D malabsorption. It’s another thing to say that vitamin D fixes these diseases. Some recent studies have demonstrated no value of vitamin D supplementation for prevention of heart disease, cancer or even osteoporosis. There may be hazards to overzealous vitamin D supplementation, namely calcium deposition in arteries or kidney stones

Many Roman Children Suffered From Vitamin D Deficiency

New research suggests rickets was common long before the Industrial Revolution, when pollution blocked out sunlight

Medical Panel: Don't Go Overboard On Vitamin D

The panel also found no national epidemic of vitamin D deficiency. Many proponents of high-dose supplements believe there is one, and many of the IOM experts thought it might be true. "It was very surprising," Rosen says. "I think there were a lot of us who came in thinking that requirements should be much higher or that [average American] blood levels were not nearly as high. But it's very good news for the general population." The new report says people's blood levels of vitamin D don't need to be higher than 20 nanograms per milliliter of blood. Leading proponents aim for a blood level of 30 or even 40.

Rethinking Vitamin D Deficiency: Controversies and Practical Guidance for Clinical Management

This narrative review examines current evidence on the prevalence, clinical implications, and management strategies of VDD, with particular emphasis on the rationale for screening, supplementation practices, and therapeutic targets in bone health. Although awareness of the clinical implications of hypovitaminosis D is increasing, the implementation of screening strategies remains controversial. Universal screening lacks robust evidence regarding its clinical utility and cost-effectiveness, and although targeted testing in specific risk groups has been proposed, this approach also entails limitations due to variability in assay methods, thresholds, and inclusion criteria across clinical guidelines and studies.

Think vitamin D deficiency is not common in Africa? Think again

A number of factors may contribute to vitamin D deficiency in Africa. As we found in the study, urbanisation seems to be a major cause. People are spending more time indoors. In contrast, Africans in rural settings have been reported to have one of the highest levels of vitamin D in the world. Africans have large amounts of melanin in the skin. This is believed to be an adaptation to prevent skin damage due to the sunny African climate. However, it also effectively reduces the amount of vitamin D absorption from the sun.

Tons of Americans are taking Vitamin D pills, but studies suggest they're useless

But "deficiency" is a fuzzy term. Many labs will apply it to someone with 20 to 30 nanograms per milliliter in their bloodstream, which is likely a perfectly healthy level. As a result, thousands of patients may be going home with Vitamin D supplements they don't need. And recent studies have shown little in the way of medical benefits (though there is debate on that subject).

Vitamin D Deficiency in Adults: Screening

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) concludes that the overall evidence on the benefits of screening for vitamin D deficiency is lacking. Therefore, the balance of benefits and harms of screening for vitamin D deficiency in asymptomatic adults cannot be determined

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 Deficiency- An Ignored Epidemic

Vitamin D deficiency is a global health problem. With all the medical advances of the century, vitamin D deficiency is still epidemic. Over a billion people worldwide are vitamin D deficient or insufficient. Yet no international health organization or governmental body has declared a health emergency to warn the public about the urgent need of achieving sufficient vitamin D blood levels.

Vitamin D: What's the "right" level?

In 2010, the venerable Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued a report based on lengthy examination of data by a group of experts. To sum up, they estimated that a vitamin D level of 20 ng/mL or higher was adequate for good bone health, and subsequently a level below 20 was considered a vitamin D deficiency.

Resources

5 Things You Should Know About Vitamin D Deficiency

Imagine there were a nutrient that could protect your bones, brain and heart, and maybe even help you live longer. It's 100 percent free, and all you have to do to get it is go outside. Seems like something everyone would have plenty of, right? Well, that nutrient exists -- it's vitamin D, which is created by our cells when our skin is exposed to sunlight.

MedicineNet

A deficiency in vitamin D can result from inadequate exposure to sunlight, inefficient production in the skin, not enough vitamin D in your diet, and health conditions that can affect it including, gastrointestinal disorders, renal diseases, and liver diseases.

MedlinePlus

Vitamin D deficiency can lead to a loss of bone density, which can contribute to osteoporosis and fractures (broken bones). Severe vitamin D deficiency can also lead to other diseases. In children, it can cause rickets. Rickets is a rare disease that causes the bones to become soft and bend. African American infants and children are at higher risk of getting rickets. In adults, severe vitamin D deficiency leads to osteomalacia. Osteomalacia causes weak bones, bone pain, and muscle weakness.

Patient

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.

StatPearls

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in calcium homeostasis and bone metabolism. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to osteomalacia and rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. The fortification of milk with vitamin D in the 1930s was effective in eradicating rickets in the world. However, subclinical vitamin D deficiency is still widely prevalent in both developed and developing countries with a worldwide prevalence of up to 1 billion.

UptoDate

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