Vitamin D, Women, and Strong Bones

Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, improves the efficiency with which our bodies absorb calcium. The more calcium we get, the less vitamin D we need. And the less calcium we get, the more vitamin D we need. Geezer has been here before, but now, Science News reports, there are new questions about how much vitamin D is needed by women living in the United States. And the answer to those new questions appears to be: A lot more than we used to think. The journal reports that last year, at a conference of the Institute of Medicine (IOM), vitamin D emerged as "the poster child" for the vitamin most critically in need of a boost in its recommended-daily intake. The IOM is willing to take the blame. Eight years ago, the last time the Institute looked at women’s vitamin D needs, its experts recommended 400 to 600 international units (IU) a day. Unfortunately, reports Science News, most women in North America don’t come close to that. And even more unfortunately, recent studies suggest that 400 to 600 IU a day is about half as much vitamin D as most women living in the United States really need. Geezer can only hope that women readers will read more, and get some sun.