TREATMENT OF VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY

The ideal way to get vitamin D is through sunbathing. But unfortunately, most of us have extremely low levels of vitamin D. Therefore, it is essential to take supplements. Ideally, we should have our 25 OH vitamin D levels measured before we start supplementation. The only way to find out what your vitamin D levels are is to have a blood test.

Normal düzeyler 40-110 ng/mL arasındadır. 60-80 ng/mL arası iyi bir düzeydir. Bu düzeylere erişildikten sonra bu düzeyi sürdürebilmek için erişkinlerin günde 5000 IU, çocukların ise her 12.5 kilosu için 1000 IU alması gerekmektedir.

To increase your vitamin D levels, you can also add vitamin D-rich foods to your diet, such as oily fish or fortified dairy products.

Be sure to consult your health care provider about how much you should take, how often you should take it and for how long.

WHAT SHOULD THE DAILY INTAKE OF VITAMIN D BE?

In a 1997 publication, the US Food and Nutrition Board recommends 400 IU/day for children, 200 IU/day for adults and 400 IU/day for the elderly.(*) The Turkish Ministry of Health recommends 400 IU vitamin D daily until the age of 1 year. Considering that vitamin D can be synthesized sufficiently from the sun in other age groups, there is no need for supplementation!

Parathormone levels should be suppressed in a person who takes or produces sufficient vitamin D. Gomez et al. state that secondary hyperparathyroidism is suppressed when 25(OH)D levels exceed 75 nmol/L and that at least 3,000 IU vitamin D should be taken daily to reach this level. (**) Dawson-Hughes B (***) and Kinyamu (****) suggest that parathormone levels are suppressed after 100 nmol/L and that 10,000 IU of vitamin D should be taken orally daily to reach this level, while Lihares (*****) recommends taking 4000 IU of vitamin D daily. Other vitamin D experts say that the vitamin D requirement should be between 4000-10,000 IU. (******)

To summarize, while official circles recommend 400 IU of vitamin D per day, the world's most important vitamin D experts say that the daily physiological need for vitamin D should be at least 10 times this figure, i.e. at least 4000-10,000 IU.

The amount of vitamin D you need each day depends on your age. Here are the recommended amounts in international units (IU):

• From birth to 12 months: 400 IU
• Children aged 1-13 years: 600 IU
• Teenagers aged 14-18 years: 600 IU
• Adults aged 19-70 years: 600 IU
• Adults aged 71 years and older: 800 IU
• Pregnant and lactating women: 600 IU

People at high risk of vitamin D deficiency may need more. Check with your health care provider about how much you need.

Prof. Dr. Ahmet Aydın's daily vitamin D dose recommendation for children and adults is as follows:

For 12.5 kg..............1000 units

For 12.5-25 kg.........1000-2000 units

For 25-37.5 kg.........2000-3000 units

For 37.5-50 kg.......3000-4000 units

For 50 kg.............5000 units

For 60 kg.............6000-7500 units

For 70 kg.............7000-8750 units

For 80 kg.............8000-10000 units

For 90 kg.............9000-11250 units

For 100 kg.............10000-12500 units

* These statements are not a substitute for medical advice. Dietary supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare professional for detailed information.

References:

*Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D, and Fluoride, Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes, Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine, 1997

** Gomez Alonso C, Naves Diaz M, Rodriguez Garcia M, Fernandez Martin JL, Cannata Andia JB: Review of the Concept of “sufficiency” and “insufficiency” of Vitamin D. Nefrologia. 2003;23 Suppl 2:73-7

*** Dawson-Hughes B, Harris SS, Krall EA, Dallal GE. Effect of calcium and vitamin D supplementation on bone density in men and women 65 years of age or older. N Engl J Med 1997;337:670–6.

**** Kinyamu HK, Gallagher JC, Rafferty KA, Balhorn KE. Dietary calcium and vitamin D intake in elderly women: effect on serum parathyroid hormone and vitamin D metabolites. Am J Clin Nutr 1998;67:342–8

***** Linhares E, Jones D, Round J, Edwards RH: Effect of nutrition on vitamin D status: studies on healthy and poorly nourished children. Am J Clin Nutr. 1984:39(4):625-630

****** Vieth R: Vitamin D supplementation, 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration, and safety. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999;69:842-56

Heaney RP, Davies KM, Chen TC, Holick MF, Barger-Lux MJ: Human serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol response to extended oral dosing with cholecalciferol. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003;77:204-10

Holick M: Vitamin D; A millennium Perspective. J Cell Biochem. 2003;88:296-307