Controversial New Recommendations About Vitamin D and Calcium

A long awaited recommendation about appropriate levels of vitamin D and calcium has created controversy. Scientists from the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine have called for tripling the daily recommendation of vitamin D from 200 International Units to 600 IUs. They recommend no more than 4,000 IUs daily. But , they point out that most people do not need supplements to get adequate amounts of vitamin D or calcium. In fact, these nutrition experts discourage calcium supplements, especially in post-menopausal women. This is the group that is most likely to be taking extra calcium. They point out that too much calcium may increase the risk for kidney stones.
Despite media attention, the panel downplayed the risk of widespread vitamin D deficiency. The nutrition scientists concluded that this problem does not seem to exist since blood levels of 20 to 30 nanograms per milliliter are adequate to maintain bone health.