Vitamin D

Marilyn Niffin
Vitamin D: Why do we need it?
Known Benefits
Healthy teeth and bones
Muscle and nerve function
Immune support
Essential for your body to absorb Calcium and Phosphorus

Potential Benefits
Help regulate blood sugar and aid in diabetes management
Support Lung function
Support cardiovascular health
Reducing the risk of developing MS (Healthline editorial team, 2017)
Where do we get it
Known as the sunshine vitamin as it is produced by the skin
when exposed to sunlight
Fat soluble
Found in certain food
Supplement form
Factors impacting Vitamin D levels
Areas with high pollution
Environment spending too much time indoors
Using sunblock
Darker skin
Urban areas (building block direct sunlight)
Sources of Vitamin D
Food sources include
Salmon
Sardines
Eggs (yolk)
Shrimp
milk (fortified)
cereal (fortified)
yogurt (fortified)
orange juice (fortified)
Supplements
It can be difficult to get enough Vitamin D from sunlight or
food sources alone.
Vitamin D2 and Vitamin D3
Can be found in liquid, pill and gel caplet form
Recommended Daily Intakes
It is important to get enough Vitamin D but too much can also be s problem

Age group Aim for an intake of Stay below IU/day*

international units (IU)/day

Infants 0-6 months old 400 1000

Infants 7-12 months old 400 1500

Children 1-3 years old 600 2500

Children 4-8 years old 600 3000

Children and Adults 9-70 600 4000

years old

Adults over 71 years old 800 4000

Pregnant and 600 4000

Breastfeeding Women

Eatright Ontario Registered Dietitcians, 2017

Vitamin D deficiency
Symptoms include
Tiredness, aches, pains, general malaise
Severe bone and muscle pain
Stress fractures

Deficiency Related Conditions

Osteomalacia and osteoporosis
Cardiovascular disease
Poor Immune function
Effects on Vitamin D on your Health
Ongoing research shows potential correlations between
vitamin D levels and several diseases and medical conditions
including:
Diabetes
Hypertension
Multiple Sclerosis
Some cancers

(Office of Dietary Supplements, 2016)

Where To Find Out More
Talk to you Family Doctor
Public Health
Registered Dietician
Helpful websites:
National Center for Complimentary and Integrative Health https://
nccih.nih.gov/health
EatRight Ontario
https://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/Articles/Vitamins-and-Minerals/What-you-n
eed-to-know-about-Vitamin-D.aspx

National Osteoporosis Foundation

https://www.nof.org/patients/treatment/calciumvitamin-d/
References
Eatright Ontario Registered Dieticians. (April 18, 2017). What you need to know about
Vitamin D. Retrieved from: https://
www.eatrightontario.ca/en/Articles/Vitamins-and-Minerals/What-you-need-to-know-ab
out-Vitamin-D.aspx

Endocrine Society. (2017, April 3). New measurement technique lowers estimated
vitamin D recommended daily allowance. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 16, 2017
from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170403083103.htm
Healthline Editorial Team. April 17, 2017. The Benefits of Vitamin D. Retreived from
https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/benefits-vitamin-d#overview1
Office of Dietary Supplements. (April 15, 2017). Vitamin D fact sheet for consumers.
Retrieved from: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-Consumer/