I need more vitamin D than I used to. I know this because I got vitamin D deficiency. I slept a lot and was moody my hair fell out. My back hurt. It was awful, and it could have been dangerous because you lose bone when you have a vitamin D deficiency. Older adults like me need 800 International Units (IU) of vitamin D every day. We used to only need 600 IU a day.
You can get vitamin D from the sun and that’s where I got most of my vitamin D. I’m lactose intolerant and I can’t get my vitamin D from milk. But most people can get vitamin D from milk products and some other food like tuna and salmon and soy milk.
We need more vitamin D because of poor intestinal absorption, thinner skin, lack of exposure to sunlight, decreased dietary intake. My deficiency was caused by not eating the right diet and not getting enough sun. So now I eat tuna a couple times a week and I take a supplement. With this regimen it took me about 6 months to get my vitamin D level back to normal. Research shows though that most people are back to normal in 2 or 3 months.
Vitamin D is very important it can lower the risk of cardio vascular problems, some cancers, diabetes, and osteoporosis. So if you have symptoms of osteoporosis get it checked out.
