VITAMIN D

Cholecalciferol is the naturally occurring form of vitamin D. It is the substance made in large quantities in your skin when sunlight strikes your bare skin. It can also be taken as a supplement. Cholecalciferol is vitamin D; all other compounds are either metabolic products or chemical modifications.

Vitamin D is the subject of many studies and reviews. This short Q & A piece is taken largely from Dr John Cannel's excellent vitamin D council.

There are considerable challenges to overcoming adequate Vit D supplementation via sunlight exposure, and supplementation represents an effective and reliable way of achieving optimal Vit D status without incurring solar radiation risks. Medical opinion is changing about the DRI levels for Vit D, and scientists and clinicians are urging governmental bodies to increase the recommended minimum levels. The AMA have made their opinion clear, the BMA has yet to make a similar appeal although a scientific update on Vit D was published in 2007:

""The American Medical Association (AMA), the nation's largest physician organisation, voted today at its Annual Meeting (June 2008) to adopt the following new public health policy: The current Reference Intake Values for Vitamin D were established by the Food and Nutrition Board in 1997. Current research suggests that the Upper Limits for adults is likely overly conservative. Today the AMA called on the FDA to re-examine the current Daily Reference Intake Value for Vitamin D in light of new scientific findings. "The health benefits of Vitamin D are plentiful, such as strong bones and a reduced risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease, " said AMA Board Member Steven Stack, M.D. "It's time to take a good look at the current daily recommended level of Vitamin D and ensure that Americans know the appropriate levels so they can reap the full health benefits. "

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