Expert Insights on Osteoporosis
Q. My husband found out his vitamin D level was 16. His doctor prescribed 50,000 of ergocalciferol. What is ergocalciferol? A. The only prescription vitamin D in the US is “ergocalciferol” at the dose of 50,000 IU (International Units). Ergocalciferol is vitamin D2, which comes from plant sources. It is made by ultraviolet irradiation of… Read more
Vitamin D supplements continue to be a hot topic. The risk of kidney stones from taking vitamin D supplements is not completely clear. A new study published in the American Journal of Public Health found no risk of kidney stones with higher vitamin D blood levels. A higher risk of kidney stones was originally reported… Read more
Yet another meta-analysis on the topic of vitamin D supplements and bone was published online today in The Lancet (October 11, 2013). The focus of this meta-analysis by New Zealand Professor Ian Reid and colleagues was changes in bone mineral density with vitamin D supplementation. They identified all randomized, placebo-controlled studies that assessed the effects… Read more
Confused about calcium and vitamin D? Who isn’t? The recent media coverage on the topic of calcium and vitamin D has created a tremendous amount of confusion among not only you, but your health care providers, too. Unfortunately, this news coverage may be counterproductive to promoting adequate calcium and vitamin D intake for bone health.… Read more
Vitamin D is linked with muscle function and performance. A new study shows low vitamin D even in professional football players. In a small study of a single NFL team, researchers included vitamin D levels as part of the routine pre-season evaluation conducted in the spring of 2010. Only one-fifth of the players had normal… Read more
During my most recent annual physical my physician requested one further blood value to analyze along with the standard blood profile. In addition to the typical lipid panel, CA 125 test, and an array of others, she was also interested in evaluating my vitamin D level. I quietly thought testing my Vitamin D was completely… Read more
The current American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation for breast-fed babies is a daily 400 IU supplementation of vitamin D. If babies are receiving one liter or more of formula, no additional supplementation is needed since the formula is fortified with vitamin D.