Highlights of Dr. Paykel's Presentation - Who is at risk for Vitamin D deficiency? Exclusively breast-fed infants, dark skin, aging, northern climate dwellers, city-dwellers, those who cover their heads when outside, sunscreen users, lactose intolerance, s/p gastric bypass, cystic fibrosis patients, gallbladder disease, IBS, obesity, women.
- Diseases associated with vitamin D deficiency: osteoporosis, breast, colon and ovarian cancer; autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes; Seasonal Affective Disorder (depression during winter months), cardiovascular disease and hypertension, Alzheimer’s Disease.
- Osteoporosis progression slows at 32 ng/mL ; goal of therapy should be 50 – 80 ng/mL to decrease cancer risks
- Sources of Vitamin D: sun, food, supplements
- Sun block SPF 8 or greater reduces conversion of Vitamin D in the skin by 95%
If using sunscreen, apply after sun exposure for twenty minutes
- Adequate sun exposure: Bikini-wearing, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., 2-3 x per week
Everybody living North of 37 degrees latitude (basically, North of line extending across the U.S. from Atlanta, GA to Los Angeles, CA) should take supplements (2000 IU daily) from October through March
- Dietary sources of vitamin D include: wild-caught, fatty fish, dairy products, fortified cereals, fortified orange juice, egg yolks and cod liver oil
- Take Vitamin D supplements during meals with fatty foods
- Vitamin D3 is better than Vitamin D2 for supplementation (except prescription strength only comes in D2)
- Children should receive 400 IU Vitamin D3 daily
- Lab to order: 25-hydroxy-Vitamin D [AKA: 25(OH)D]
- Definitions: “deficiency” <> 32 ng/mL
- Too much vitamin D in the system: > 200 ng/mL
- Treating vitamin D deficiency when measuring 25(OH)D :
<>: Vitamin D2 50,000 IU weekly x 1 year
21-31 ng/mL: Vitamin D2 50,000 IU weekly x 12 weeks then Vitamin D3 2000 IU daily; recheck in 1 year
32 ng/mL: Vitamin D3 2000 IU daily
- Who should not take Vitamin D without supervision? Individuals with impaired kidney function
- Food sources Vitamin D (IU)
Pink salmon, wild caught, 3 oz 530
Sardines, 3 oz 231
Tuna, canned, 3 oz 200
Cow’s milk, 8 oz 100
Fortified O.J., 8 oz 100
Fortified cereal, 1 cup 40-50
Eggs (Yolk), 1 oz 30
Cod Liver Oil, 1 oz 1, 360
Highlights of Dr. Paykel's Presentation 
