To reach the circulating (25-hydroxy) vitamin D levels associated with the lowest overall mortality, one may need to take supplements, given data suggesting suboptimal production from sun—even under optimal circumstances.
Vitamin D Supplements May Be Necessary
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How much sun exposure might one need to get their target vitamin D level to that found associated with the lowest total mortality rate? Well, it depends. It depends on our age, how long we’re exposed, the time of day, the time of year, our latitude, our skin color, our use of sunscreen, and how much of our body we’re exposing.
Even in Boston, though, all it takes is 10-12 minutes of midday summer sun, without sunblock—if, you’re a young, pale, naked Caucasian. But then, you’re golden! Actually, you’d be a little pink. Note, though, if you’re some old white guy prancing around naked on the Commons, you’re not going to make it.
As I hope you’re beginning to appreciate, it’s not easy to make a one-size-fits-all recommendation for how much sun exposure one might need. And “Low vitamin D Status despite Abundant Sun Exposure” has been found even in the best of circumstances: young, half-naked skateboarders in Honolulu, mostly Caucasian, averaging 30 hours of sun a week—and 51% didn’t even make it to 30. If they can’t, who can?
And these days, even if we’re an albino nudist at the Equator, how often might we be getting outside in the middle of the day with a desk job?
So, if we’re really interested in getting to the vitamin D level associated with the lowest mortality rates, and our lifestyle or latitude won’t allow us the necessary sun exposure, then one needs to take vitamin D supplements. The piddly amount added to soy milk, calf milk, margarine, or mushrooms would simply not be enough.
To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by veganmontreal.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- Michaëlsson K, Baron JA, Snellman G, Gedeborg R, Byberg L, Sundström J, Berglund L, Arnlöv J, Hellman P, Blomhoff R, Wolk A, Garmo H, Holmberg L, Melhus H. Plasma vitamin D and mortality in older men: a community-based prospective cohort study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Oct;92(4):841-8. Epub 2010 Aug 18.
- Hollis BW. Circulating 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels Indicative of Vitamin D Sufficiency: Implications for Establishing a New Effective Dietary Intake Recommendation for Vitamin D. J Nutr. 2005 Feb;135(2):317-22.
- Holick MF. Environmental factors that influence the cutaneous production of vitamin D. Am J Clin Nutr. 1995 Mar;61(3 Suppl):638S-645S.
- Holick MF. McCollum Award Lecture, 1994: vitamin D--new horizons for the 21st century. Am J Clin Nutr. 1994 Oct;60(4):619-30.
- Holick MF, Matsuoka LY, Wortsman J. Age, vitamin D, and solar ultraviolet. Lancet. 1989 Nov 4;2(8671):1104-5.
Image thanks to Tony Alter / Flickr
How much sun exposure might one need to get their target vitamin D level to that found associated with the lowest total mortality rate? Well, it depends. It depends on our age, how long we’re exposed, the time of day, the time of year, our latitude, our skin color, our use of sunscreen, and how much of our body we’re exposing.
Even in Boston, though, all it takes is 10-12 minutes of midday summer sun, without sunblock—if, you’re a young, pale, naked Caucasian. But then, you’re golden! Actually, you’d be a little pink. Note, though, if you’re some old white guy prancing around naked on the Commons, you’re not going to make it.
As I hope you’re beginning to appreciate, it’s not easy to make a one-size-fits-all recommendation for how much sun exposure one might need. And “Low vitamin D Status despite Abundant Sun Exposure” has been found even in the best of circumstances: young, half-naked skateboarders in Honolulu, mostly Caucasian, averaging 30 hours of sun a week—and 51% didn’t even make it to 30. If they can’t, who can?
And these days, even if we’re an albino nudist at the Equator, how often might we be getting outside in the middle of the day with a desk job?
So, if we’re really interested in getting to the vitamin D level associated with the lowest mortality rates, and our lifestyle or latitude won’t allow us the necessary sun exposure, then one needs to take vitamin D supplements. The piddly amount added to soy milk, calf milk, margarine, or mushrooms would simply not be enough.
To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by veganmontreal.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- Michaëlsson K, Baron JA, Snellman G, Gedeborg R, Byberg L, Sundström J, Berglund L, Arnlöv J, Hellman P, Blomhoff R, Wolk A, Garmo H, Holmberg L, Melhus H. Plasma vitamin D and mortality in older men: a community-based prospective cohort study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Oct;92(4):841-8. Epub 2010 Aug 18.
- Hollis BW. Circulating 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels Indicative of Vitamin D Sufficiency: Implications for Establishing a New Effective Dietary Intake Recommendation for Vitamin D. J Nutr. 2005 Feb;135(2):317-22.
- Holick MF. Environmental factors that influence the cutaneous production of vitamin D. Am J Clin Nutr. 1995 Mar;61(3 Suppl):638S-645S.
- Holick MF. McCollum Award Lecture, 1994: vitamin D--new horizons for the 21st century. Am J Clin Nutr. 1994 Oct;60(4):619-30.
- Holick MF, Matsuoka LY, Wortsman J. Age, vitamin D, and solar ultraviolet. Lancet. 1989 Nov 4;2(8671):1104-5.
Image thanks to Tony Alter / Flickr
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Vitamin D Supplements May Be Necessary
LicenseCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Content URLDoctor's Note
This is the fifth video in a nine-part series on vitamin D. Be sure to check out yesterday’s video: Vitamin D and Mortality May Be a U-Shaped Curve.
Also, check out my associated blog posts for additional context: Eating To Extend Our Lifespan; Vitamin D: Shedding some light on the new recommendations; and Vitamin D from Mushrooms, Sun, or Supplements?.
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