Peachy the Magazine January / February 2014 | Page 82

Vitamin D Deficiency The following recommendations will serve as a basis to achieve the proper levels of vitamin D: • Request a measurement of total 25(OH) D level (total serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D). Normal ranges are considered to be 10–55 ng/ml. Some believe optimal levels are in the range of 40–80 ng/ml. • Vitamin D supplementation is very safe and relatively inexpensive. There are two forms of Vitamin D but it is important to take the D3 formulation because it is more bioavailable and has a longer half life so it circulates through the body longer. The recommended dosage for maintenance is 2000–3000 units per day. Higher doses should be prescribed by a physician. • It can take 6 months to a year to correct a deficiency of Vitamin D. • Try to get additional supplementation in food sources such as: » Wild salmon (360 IU) » Sardines (250 IU) » Cooked mackerel (345 IU) » Whole eggs (20 IU) 80 PEACHY Vitamin D supplements can reduce the risk by 80 percent that children will develop diabetes 30 years later. On-going studies have linked Vitamin D deficiency to schizophrenia and depression and prenatal research has shown supplementation in pregnancy and early childhood may improve brain development in that infant. In older patients, Vitamin D supplements were associated with improved cognitive testing performance. Much more research is needed but these initial results are promising. As more and more studies surface about the benefits of taking Vitamin D it would seem that testing for a deficiency would be forthcoming. Yet, unfortunately, patients are not being routinely tested and most aren’t being counseled on the correct amount of Vitamin D to take. This supplement is safe and may have the potential to prevent some chronic conditions. Prevention of disease is always preferred to treatment. n