Even though vitamin D is a hot topic in Women’s Health, the current recommendations start with newborns. The new recommendations for Vitamin D intake start within a few days of birth-400 International units in exclusively breast-fed infants. Starting at age one, the recommendation jumps to 600 I.U. (previously the recommendations was 200 I.U.) in part because it was found that the risk of rickets decreases substantially at the increased recommendations. Vitamin D supplementation recommendations actually start even earlier. Currently, pregnant females should be getting at least 600 I.U daily since vitamin d crossed the placental barrier and builds fetal stores. In darker skinned individual and individuals whose cultural and religious practices include complete skin cover, the recommendations are set at 1,000 I.U.

Having said that, sun exposure during most months, mid-day, for 10-15 minutes without sunscreen is sufficient for vitamin D synthesis in light skinned individuals. Dark skinned pigmentation, winter season, or northern latitudes can markedly reduce skin synthesis and increase dietary intake.

Besides living in northern latitudes and being darker skinned, other common causes of decreased vitamin D deficiency include decreased synthesis, decreased nutritional intake, maternal vitamin D deficiency, prematurity, exclusive breast feeding and obesity due to the increased sequestration of vitamin D in fat , malabsorption and medication interference with absorption. Most countries have milk and orange juice fortified supplementation to help with this. Other common foods that contain vitamin D are fatty fish, canned tuna fish, egg yolks, fortified cereals, beef liver, cod liver oil and calcium rich foods because your body needs calcium to absorb vitamin D.

In turn, vitamin D helps your muscles absorb calcium. Decreased calcium causes your muscles to cramp, hurt or feel weak. Included in your body muscles is the most important muscle of all, your heart muscle. Foods high in calcium include milk, yogurt, cheese, leafy greens, seafood, legumes and fruit. Also important to note is that there is no evidence to support calcium intake and increased risk of developing kidney stones.

With the increased daylight, now is the time to try and increase your vitamin D production and intake if you have not already done so. And when stopping in for your annual checkup, you can see how well you are doing with your vitamin D status.