Question for the Vit D experts

Question for the Vit D experts

I live in an area where the sun shines about 90% of the time year round. On
average I get about 30-60 minutes of sun exposure around 4 times a week or more.
Do I still need to take vitamin D? My D levels are always at the normal range,
and I have 2 dr.'s that say because of the weather and intense sun exposure we
get, I don't need to take any extra D. Would you agree with this? I still take
D daily, but wonder if it is really necessary.

BTW I live in the So. Cal. desert where there is little atmospheric interference
like smog, clouds, rainfall etc.

Re: Question for the Vit D experts

Pam wrote:
: I live in an area where the sun shines about 90% of the time year
: round. On average I get about 30-60 minutes of sun exposure around 4
: times a week or more. Do I still need to take vitamin D? My D levels
: are always at the normal range, and I have 2 dr.'s that say because
: of the weather and intense sun exposure we get, I don't need to take
: any extra D. Would you agree with this? I still take D daily, but
: wonder if it is really necessary.
:
: BTW I live in the So. Cal. desert where there is little atmospheric
: interference like smog, clouds, rainfall etc.

Not everyone on this planet needs extra vitamin D. Sun is the best source of
vitamin D - it accounts ~90% of the vitamin D intake. It is quite possible
that you don't need any extra vitamin D at all. However, what is considered
as normal range varies. In recent years the normal levels have been creeping
higher and higher as there is more health benefits of the higher levels. In
a recent Harvard study the optimal calcidiol [25(OH)D] concentration was at
least 80 nmol/l (=32 ng/ml), and the best was from 90 to 100 nmol/l (= 36-40
ng/ml). Many doctors are not aware of these new studies and discoveries. If
your calcidiol concentration is at this range, then everything is fine.

--
Juhana