3 Myths About Vitamin D You Have to Stop Believing

Myths about Vitamin D are all over the place, especially now that the vitamin has seen signs of protection for people amid the pandemic.

People want simple answers: are the bits of information about Vitamin D myths or truths?

Before we dive into the myths, here are some facts about Vitamin D.

First, your body does need Vitamin D to function. It helps the body absorb calcium from the intestines. This calcium is necessary to help give minerals to the skeleton.

The effects it has on your bones can span throughout your lifetime. It is an essential mineral for forming the hardened bone, and it keeps you strong and healthy.

Not having enough Vitamin D in your body can have serious consequences. This includes an increased bone loss rate or osteomalacia ('soft bones') and rickets (a deforming bone disorder) in children.

So, what kind of information should you doubt?

Here are three of those common myths, as debunked by Yale Medicine.

The More Vitamin D, The Better

Vitamin D is stored in fat. So if you're a small person who gets large doses of it, you have fewer places to keep it in your body.

This would mean Vitamin D goes into your blood, and you may absorb too much of it. This could result in too much calcium that leads to a toxic situation, as Mayo Clinic noted.

A person's need for Vitamin D varies. Some people can get 50,000 IU tablets over the counter. Some patients have specific issues who might need a prescription for higher Vitamin D levels, but for most people, that amount may be too high.

Make sure that you buy supplements that offer the daily recommended allowance for your age.

For most healthy people, 600 IU is good. For people over 70, they may need a little more, 800 IU. Babies should also get smaller amounts in their first year of life, for about 200 to 400 IU.

Everyone Has to Get Their Vitamin D Levels Checked

Most people will do fine without checking on their Vitamin D levels, said Harvard Health Blog.

But some people need to test because of certain conditions. Some patients have gastrointestinal disorders or osteoporosis and need testing. People who had weight loss surgery also need this, as well as those on anticonvulsant drugs.

Children who were immobilized also need to get tested. People over 70 are also recommended to get checked at least once.

People whose religion or culture requires them to be fully clothed also don't get much Vitamin D from sunlight and might need to be checked.

It's Best to Get Your Vitamin D from the Sun

Too much exposure to the sun can also lead to skin cancer, said Cancer Research UK. It is one of the biggest challenges in dermatology.

Some claims said people have to have a certain amount of sun exposure every day to produce healthy amounts of Vitamin D. It's not true.

Many people can get their Vitamin D needs from supplements of Vitamin D rich food.

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