Worth passing on

I've got something a little different in this writing. I read an article by Dr Robert Heaney of Creighton University. He has been involved in researching vitamin D levels. His findings indicate the current RDA's (recommended daily allowance) for vitamin D are too low. Since these levels were set 13 years ago, much more has been learned about vitamin D.

Vitamin D is well known for it's ability to help the body absorb calcium from food. It's now been found to play a key role in the body's immune system. Low vitamin D levels have been implicated in disorders as varied as premature birth, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis and many infectious diseases. Dr Heaney stressed that low levels of vitamin D do not cause these things, but merely interfere with the body's natural defense system.

The recommended dose now for pregnant and lactating women is 2,000 IUs a day. Many scientists who are studying vitamin D indicated they are taking 3,000 IUs of vitamin D a day.
Dr Heaney's suggestion is that we could easily add 1,000 to 2,000 IUs of vitamin D to our daily routine.

Use of sunscreen and the increased amount of time many of us spend indoors are factors in low vitamin D levels. While baking in the sun for hours is probably not a good idea, perhaps we've taken our caution about sun exposure a little too far.