1. Is fortifying milk and cereals with vitamin D a good practice?
Yes. The amount of vitamin D produced by the body may be insufficient, especially when there is limited exposure to sunlight (winter, places with overcast and cloudy weather). Since dietary vitamin D is found naturally only in a few foods, such as cod liver oil, dietary intake would not be sufficient for most people. However, in the United States, vitamin D is routinely added to milk, fortified cereals, and fruit juices to ensure adequate dietary availability. Fortification has been a real success story in the United States, drastically reducing the rate of juvenile rickets and making it a relatively rare occurrence.
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2. Can I get my vitamin D from yogurt and cheese?
Maybe. Although all milk is fortified, many dairy products are not. The current
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin D is being revised, and some experts suggest that adults should take at least 2000 IU of vitamin D daily.
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3. Are there other uses for vitamin D?
Yes, there is a
topical form of vitamin D cream that is used to treat psoriasis. Research is being done in other areas, including the potential use of vitamin D to help control
autoimmune conditions.
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4. Is vitamin D a necessary component of calcium supplements?
Since absorption of calcium is dependent on vitamin D, many manufacturers of calcium supplements add vitamin D to assure optimal calcium uptake. If you have adequate amounts of vitamin D from other sources, the additional vitamin D is not necessary. The amount of vitamin D in these tablets is not likely to lead to excess vitamin D or be harmful either.
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