“Vitamin D is probably the one, if we had to come up with one single vitamin that most people need to be taking to some extent, ” says Dr. Arielle Levitan. She, along with Dr. Romy Block wrote the recently published book “The Vitamin Solution: Two Doctors Clear the Confusion about Vitamins and Your Health.”
“It’s been proven to play a role in so many important things,” Levitan said, “particularly in moods, in bone health… heart disease, prevention of dementia.” Vitamin D can also ease muscle aches and thinning hair.
The doctors say usually, your body should synthesize vitamin D in your kidney and liver after sunlight exposure. But we rarely receive enough, especially in winter. And it’s hard to get a proper amount of vitamin D through foods.
Levitan and Block recommend looking for bottles that say USP or GMP, which denote trusted manufacturing standards.
To make sure you’re getting the right amount, they suggest checking with your doctor. Too much can cause kidney stones, they note, and has been linked to higher mortality.
They say most people need a supplement with 800 to 2,000 IUs daily, but some may need more based on certain conditions. And it’s not just winter; even in the summer, many need more. So they suggest people take vitamin D year-round because it’s metabolized very slowly. Just take a little less in the summer, they suggest.
January 14, 2016
I use ‘Natures Bounty’ & ‘Finest Nutrition’ brands,but do not see USP or GMP on the label . Are these brands OK to use?