Endocrine Society Emphasizes Vitamin D3 Supplementation

Endocrine Society Emphasizes Vitamin D3 Supplementation

The Endocrine Society has published a new set of recommendations regarding daily vitamin D3 intake. In the recommendation, which was published in the June online edition of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, the organization essentially recommends that almost everyone participate in a daily vitamin d supplement regimen. The amount of the nutrient taken by each person would depend on the person's age and his or her potential risk of developing vitamin D deficiency.

The research that led to the mass-recommendation noticed that vitamin D deficiency was widespread across all age groups, hence why the organization issued a broad recommendation that everyone supplement with vitamin D, and with those most vulnerable to deficiency directed to take the highest dosages.

Vitamin D deficiency is a health condition in which a person's blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3, also known as calcifediol, are severely depleted for a recurring or prolonged period of time. The condition can contribute to the development and/or worsening of more than two dozen illnesses and various medical conditions.

The condition can be corrected by taking two specific measures:

1. Make it a point to sunbathe whenever possible, soaking up as much of the sun's rays as is possible without overdoing it. Let your body tell you when you've had enough, unless you've been drinking alcohol, in which case you will want to return to the shade after a predetermined period of time so as to make sure you're not being overexposed.
2. Take a daily, high-quality and high-potency vitamin D3 supplement.

The latter of the two options comes with the least amount of associated risk. While vitamin D3 toxicity is always a remote possibility, it is highly uncommon and should not be a concern so long as you take the supplement according to your doctor's instructions.

Vitamin D3 is available from some food sources like eggs and milk, but in order to obtain the amount recommended by the Endocrine Society a person should be sunbathing and/or supplementing in addition to eating a diet rich in D3.

Vitamin D2 is not as effective or efficient a form of the nutrient as is D3. Ideally, when shopping for vitamin D3 supplements, consumers will be diligent to check the labels to see what form of vitamin D the supplement contains. The recommendation of this author is to go with D3 instead of D2 whenever possible.