Sunlight isn't only source of necessary vitamin D ???

[sparky]

They almost had me going until the last line

Want to know if you have enough vitamin D? A blood test that measures "1,25-dihydroxy- vitamin D" is a good indicator of what you have stored from sunlight, food and supplements.

Shouldn't that be the 25 OH test ???

Sunlight isn't only source of necessary vitamin D

BY BARBARA QUINN

Knight Ridder News Service

My friend Michelle and I are working a food tent at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. We were forced into service by Nick the Arm Twister, who tirelessly recruits volunteers each year to benefit youth programs in our community.

Dietitians like to observe what people order. Like the year a man walked up to our food tent with an empty Thermos and asked for a vodka and orange juice. Then, he added, "Hold the orange juice."

Sometimes, we forget the health benefits (or lack thereof) in the food we eat. Vitamin D is a good example.

Besides its well-known role as the director of calcium absorption for bone health, vitamin D is now recognized as a main player in a variety of body systems.

It shows promise in the prevention and treatment of certain types of cancer, especially colon and prostate cancer. It appears to help deter "inflammatory" diseases like arthritis and heart disease. And it may even help in the battle of obesity by its action on leptin, a hormone that tells your brain to stop eating when you are full.

Interestingly, the best place to get this essential nutrient is not food. The most active form of vitamin D is manufactured when our skin is exposed to sunlight.

Some experts now advise "safe sun" — exposing arms, legs and face to the sun for five to 10 minutes two or three times a week. That's enough, they say, for most bodies to make adequate amounts of vitamin D.

Although we can't overdose on sun-derived vitamin D (the body makes only what it needs), we can overdose on the harmful ultraviolet (UV) light that causes skin cancer. Golfers and people out in the sun for long periods need to cover up and use sunscreen.

We don't all live where we can sit in the sun year-round. And like an old golfer who loses his swing, our skin loses its capacity to produce vitamin D as we get older. That's why we still need adequate amounts from food or supplements.

Few foods (fish, eggs and some types of mushrooms) contain vitamin D naturally. Other foods are fortified with it, including milk, some soy beverages and cereals.

Most multivitamin formulas contain about 400 International Units (IU) of vitamin D, the current daily recommendation for adults.

Cholecalciferol, or vitamin D3, is the form best absorbed by the body. Some supplements use a less potent form of vitamin D, ergocalciferol.

Some researchers think the current recommendation for vitamin D is too low and advocate for daily doses closer to 1,000 IUs. Excess D can still be harmful, however. Do not exceed 2,000 IUs a day without medical guidance.

Want to know if you have enough vitamin D? A blood test that measures "1,25-dihydroxy- vitamin D" is a good indicator of what you have stored from sunlight, food and supplements.

Barbara Quinn is a registered dietitian at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. E-mail her at bquinn@chomp. org.