A new American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study shows that at least 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 – currently considered the upper limit of intake – ensures healthy blood levels of the nutrient among post-menopausal African American women.
With over 200 women participants, this three-year, double-blind, placebo-controlled study contributes to a growing body of research suggesting an urgent need to review current recommended daily intake of vitamin D.
Current RDI of vitamin D is only 400 IU.
The study’s main objective is to determine the response of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] to oral vitamin D3 supplementation in an African American population. “(Previous) reports on the dose response to vitamin D are conflicting, and most data were derived from white men and women,” the study states.
Sunlight exposure helps produce vitamin D3 in your skin. But since skin pigmentation lowers the effects of UVB radiation, darker-skinned people are more at risk of vitamin D deficiency.
Natural health expert Dr. Mercola stresses the “profound influence” of vitamin D on your entire body.
He says that optimizing your vitamin D levels could help prevent as many as 16 different types of cancer and other serious illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and osteoporosis.
Dr. Mercola recommends healthy sunlight exposure for you to fight vitamin D deficiency. Ideally, your sun exposure should range from 10 to 20 minutes at a time daily (without sunscreen and with at least 60% of your skin exposed) or until your skin turns slightly pink.
During busy days and cold, harsh winters, you may choose vitamin D3 supplementation.
Make sure you take the 25-hydroxyvitamin D test periodically to determine your vitamin D levels and to figure out the right vitamin D dosage for you. Ideally, your vitamin D levels should be in the optimal 50-70 ng/ml range. Get Dr. Mercola’s updated vitamin D dose recommendations here.
You may also use a safe tanning bed that will maximize the benefits and absorption of vitamin D. The benefits of a tanning bed at home include:
- • UV rays that help you produce the right amount of vitamin D without overdose.
- • Red light in the 633 nm range to reverse wrinkles and help you achieve a more youthful appearance.
- • Infrared light for temporary relief of muscle and joint pain, stiffness, and spasm and improved blood circulation.
Keep reading this blog for more vitamin D and tanning news.
