Does Your Child Have Vitamin D Deficiency?

Could your child have a Vitamin D deficiency? A new study says the Vitamin D deficiency in children is "shocking."

Why Do I Need Vitamin D?

Vitamin D helps build strong bones, boost immunity, help protect the body from cancers, like colon cancer. Not getting enough Vitamin D puts kids at risk for heart disease, osteoporosis, kidney and liver disease and rickets.

What Causes Vitamin D Deficiency?

1. Lack of sunshine - Vitamin D is produced in the body from exposure to sunlight. However, kids spend more time indoors watching television and playing computer games nowadays and when they do go outside, they often wear sunscreen. Sunscreen is good for preventing skin cancer but it also blocks the rays which help the body form Vitamin D.

Where Do You Get Vitamin D?

1. Eat Fish
2. Eggs
3. Drink Vitamin D fortified products like milk and orange juice.
4. Look for Vitamin D fortified cereals and other products.
5. Spend 15 minutes per day in the sun without sunscreen on - preferably before 10 am when the sun's rays are weaker.

It's hard to get enough Vitamin D through these sources, however, so a Vitamin D supplement is most often necessary. Vitamin D is not expensive to purchase.

How Much Vitamin D Do Your Kids Need?

Infants, Children and Teens need at least 400 IU of Vitamin D per day through a supplement. Adults need at least 1,000 IU of Vitamin D per day.


How Much is Too Much Vitamin D?

It's hard to overdose on Vitamin D through food or sunshine. The upper limit of Vitamin D for adults has been set at 2,000 IU.

For children and adults, too, Vitamin D is vital to good health and a strong body. Since Vitamin D supplements are easy to find and inexpensive to buy, both you and your kids should be taking it daily.