HOUSTON, May 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Current recommendations for Vitamin D were called "grossly inadequate" today at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) 18th Annual Meeting & Clinical Congress.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090324/DC88061LOGO-b)
"National recommendations from the Food and Nutrition Board are 400 to 600 International Units (IU) a day," Neil Binkley, MD, an Associate Professor in Geriatrics and Endocrinology at the
"Experts recommend somewhere between 1500 to 2600 IU daily," Dr. Binkley said. "It's considered a very safe vitamin. One would need daily doses of 40,000 IU or higher before seeing negative side effects."
Vitamin D is essential for bone health, but Binkley discussed its role in improving muscle function.
"One of the primary killers among older adults is falls," Binkley said. A sufficient amount of Vitamin D not only enhances bone strength but also improves muscle function thereby reducing the risk of fractures."
Vitamin D receptors have been discovered in many tissues throughout the body. "There's a lot that is unknown about vitamin D right now," Dr. Binkley said. "But there is one certainty - its importance is widespread."
The ubiquitous effects of the "sunshine vitamin" are demonstrated by research studies associating lower circulating vitamin D levels with cancer, type 1 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Although young people are perfectly capable of producing vitamin D in their skin after brief exposure to sunlight (10-15 minutes of UVB ray exposure per day), Americans often avoid sun exposure or utilize sunscreen. Additionally, older adults have less ability to produce vitamin D i
'/>"/>
| SOURCE American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists Copyright©2009 PR Newswire. All rights reserved |