How to Make Sure Your Kid Isn’t Short on Vitamin D

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Being out in the sun enough to make your skin a light pink generates over 20'000 IU vitamin D. This is what our ancestors were used to. I don't think we have to worry about toxicity. Those that live above Georgia in the U.S. have to supplement in the winter months especially. Don't over do it with suntan lotion. SPF 15 blocks 95% of Vitamin D absorption. We absorb no Vitamin D from sun exposure in the winter and near zero in the early hours of the day. MELANOMA IS EXCEEDINGLY RARE, Vitamin D deficiency is commonplace.

Jeff of NJ 7:08PM February 10, 2010

earlier in the year, i gave my daughter and myself 1000 iu's a day as recommended on various holistic sites. one week later, my daughter was itching and had a rash all over her body...she is 16 and i did not have a rash but was very itchy. we dropped to 400 IU and have been fine. when that happened i read that too much vitamin D can be dangerous, even fatal..I would highly recommend to have your blood drawn first to see where your Vitamin D level is currently at, before taking 1000 units per day.

mary of NY 12:48PM December 17, 2009

Check out www.homefirst.com for exact recommendations for people of every age for vitamin D. Every holistic person says no shot but lots of vitamin D. So does Gary Null, so does the former health minister of Finland.

Suz of PA 1:31PM November 01, 2009

i think that vitain d3 is better then taking the h1ni shot and vacine they are now making required. This shot will cause many deaths and will not benift anyone it is better to have a dose of 3000-5000 IU og vitian d3 which lowers your risk of geting the flu, and other things!the government has led the its people to believe they are here to protect but really they are trying to kill as many americans as possible, because the new world order is about to beging. the h1n1 flu shot was made two months prior and the pharma company already has a patent on the vacin. MONEY IS THE ROUTE OF ALL EVIL!!!! IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION CONTACT ME AT MY EMAIL!!

PONNEPOLY of HI 6:10PM October 30, 2009

Thanks Russ and Ed for your comments! The docs and researchers I've interviewed on Vitamin D dosage in the past few years are saying that 1000 IU would be a better RDA than 400 IU. But the national standard won't change without randomized clinical trials showing that's safe. National standards change slowly. The Vitamin D Council and Dr. Mercola are in the strongly pro-D camp. Please be aware there's a D-skeptics camp, too. The skeptics say there isn't enough evidence to prove there's no risk taking much higher doses long term. Here's a review of the state of the science, from NIH: http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp

Nancy Shute of DC 10:55AM October 28, 2009

What possible harm could come from a MODEST increase in the recommended daily supplement dose of vitamin D3, say 1000 i.u. instead of 400 i.u.?
And on the "flipside", what possible harm could come from NOT increasing the recommended dose above 400 i.u. daily?
Given the fact that the hormone commonly referred to as vitamin D has an extraordinary safety margin (toxicity virtually unheard of with doses under 10,000 i.u. daily), which of the two above "risk scenarios" would you choose for YOUR CHILDREN?

Russ Robbins of TN 8:53AM October 27, 2009