Vitamin D, Organic Butter
August 25, 2011

Vitamin D, Organic Butter

Web News February 2011

Vitamin D, Organic Butter.

 

Vitamin D Update:

At the request of the US and Canadian governments, the IOM (Institute of Medicine) was tasked with determining what benefits calcium and vitamin D might offer.  Upon review of nearly 1000 published studies, the IOM found most claims of benefits beyond skeletal health unsupported by evidence.

Outcomes related to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, falls, immune and autoimmune disorders, infections, and preeclampsia, could not be linked reliably with calcium or vitamin D intake and were often conflicting.

The IOM committee determined that most Americans and Canadians get enough calcium and vitamin D.  However, these groups of people may need higher amounts:  persons with dark skin, the elderly and those residing in institutional settings, and others with little sun exposure.

 

RDA’s (Recommended daily allowances) that meet the needs of most people are:

1.  Vitamin D:  600 IU/d from 1-70 years of age (including pregnant or lactating women)

800 IU/d from 70 on

 

2.  Calcium:     700mg/d from 1-3 years of age

1000 mg/d 4-8, 19-50 (including pregnant and lactating women), men 51-70

1200 mg/d women 51-70, and 70 on

1300 mg/d 9-18 (including girls who are pregnant or lactating)

 

Tolerable upper limits represent the safe boundary at the high end of the scale and should not be misunderstood as amounts people need or should strive to consume:

1.  Vitamin D:

4000 IU/d 9 years of age and older (including pregnant or lactating women)

3000 IU/d 4-8

2500 IU/d 1-3

1500 IU/d 6-12 months old

1000 IU/d up to 6 months

 

2.  Calcium:

3000 mg/d 9-18 years of age

2500 mg/d 19-50 (including pregnant and lactating women), and 1-8

2000 mg/d 51 and older

1500 mg/d 6-12 months old

1000 mg/d up to 6 months old

 

(Kidney stones are associated with taking too much calcium from dietary supplements, and over 10,000 IU/d of vitamin D may cause kidney and tissue damage.)

 

 

Plus:  When is it worth buying organic?  When you buy butter.

It is made from the milk of cows that are fed organic feed and doesn’t contain pesticides, antibiotics or added growth hormones, all of which may be found in conventional butter.  Nonorganic butter has been ranked by the Pesticide Action Network North America as one of the 10 foods most contaminated with toxic chemicals linked to breast cancer, immune system suppression and other conditions.

 

Andrew L. Rubman, ND, director, Southbury Clinic for Traditional Medicine, Southbury, Conntecticut.

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