Researchers at UC San Diego and Creighton University have challenged the
intake of vitamin D recommended by the National Academy of Sciences
(NAS) Institute of Medicine (IOM), stating that their Recommended
Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin D underestimates the need by a
factor of ten.
In a letter published last week in the journal Nutrients the
scientists confirmed a calculation error noted by other investigators,
by using a data set from a different population. Dr. Cedric F. Garland,
Dr.P.H., adjunct professor at UC San Diego's Department of Family
Medicine and Public Health said his group was able to confirm findings
published by Dr. Paul Veugelers from the University of Alberta School of
Public Health that were reported last October in the same journal.
"Both these studies suggest that the IOM underestimated the
requirement substantially," said Garland. "The error has broad
implications for public health regarding disease prevention and
achieving the stated goal of ensuring that the whole population has
enough vitamin D to maintain bone health."
The recommended intake of vitamin D specified by the IOM is 600
IU/day through age 70 years, and 800 IU/day for older ages.
"Calculations by us and other researchers have shown that these doses
are only about one-tenth those needed to cut incidence of diseases
related to vitamin D deficiency," Garland explained.
Robert Heaney, M.D., of Creighton University wrote: "We call for the
NAS-IOM and all public health authorities concerned with transmitting
accurate nutritional information to the public to designate, as the RDA,
a value of approximately 7,000 IU/day from all sources."
"This intake is well below the upper level intake specified by IOM as
safe for teens and adults, 10,000 IU/day," Garland said. Other authors
were C. Baggerly and C. French, of GrassrootsHealth, a voluntary
organization in San Diego CA, and E.D. Gorham, Ph.D., of UC San Diego.
Culled from Creighton University
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