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Vitamin D deficiency as we age
As we age, especially past 50, we appear to be falling short
on recommended daily levels of vitamin D. And more and more nutritional scientists are
saying that vitamin D is involved in helping fight many more
common ailments than originally thought.
Current guidelines are:
- Under 50 years of age, 200 IU of vitamin D a day are enough
- 5170, you need 400 IU daily
- Over 70, you need 600 IU of vitamin D every day
and some experts feel those are the low end of the scale.
Conditions that vitamin D is thought to help fight against include (but are
not limited to)
osteoporosis, certain types of cancer, arthritis, back pain, and psoriasis.
Here's how to safely boost vitamin D levels:
- Drink vitamin D-fortified beverages. Milk tops the list, but some juices and
soy milk are also fortified. (Yogurt and cheese are not fortified with vitamin D.)
- Breakfast on fortified cereal or cereal bars. A cup of vitamin D-fortified
cereal has 40 to 60 IUs. Cereal bars have about 30.
- Take a multivitamin.
- Consider eating some pickled herring.
Also see this article on
Osteoporosis
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Note that the contents here are
not presented from a medical practitioner, and that any and
all health care planning should be made under the guidance of your
own medical and health practitioners. The content within only presents
an overview of the topics and
does not replace medical advice from a professional physician.
Where I have listed the nutritional contents of foods, that information is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 2005. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 18. Nutrient Data Laboratory Home Page.
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