When Recommended Isn’t Enough
Vitamin D seems to be getting a fair amount of attention lately. We’ve learned that it can help in managing congestive heart failure and is important for bone health. New research suggests it also is linked to higher birth weights for newborns.
Reuters Health reported on an article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal revealing that lower levels of Vitamin D consumption — even when those levels were within the recommended range — were associated with giving birth to smaller infants.
Reuters Health stated, “There has been little research, [however,] into women’s vitamin D needs during pregnancy. The adequate level set for all younger adults is based on decades-old research on the amount of vitamin D necessary to prevent the bone disease rickets.”
It is gratifying to see an acknowledgement that “official” recommended nutrient levels are geared only to deficiency disease prevention… and are quite old. They have no bearing, really, on the levels that are optimal for health and well-being. And, as these researchers acknowledged, more, new research needs to be done to establish those optimal levels. I hope it happens!
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