it is important to evaluate the current research carefully, avoiding the temptation to be polarized by another popular frenzy, whether in support for or against the use of a particular supplement.
Vitamin D, famously known as “the sunshine vitamin,” is not really a vitamin but a hormone, since most of it is produced by our body as the result of exposing our skin to the sun.
A long-term social goal should be to validate optimal levels of vitamin D, especially in women before pregnancy, and work to maintain appropriate levels throughout everyone’s life span. We should not rely only on the potential short-term benefits of using vitamin D supplementation or, worse, synthetic vitamin D analogues (as we did with vitamin E) only after the damage is done.
Another good source of information is pharmacists, who are often more aware of new preventive health guidelines, drug-supplement interactions and what dietary supplement products have the best quality standards.
To confirm the nutrient’s benefits in humans, we would like to see well-controlled clinical trials of vitamin D supplementation in people who have clinically low vitamin D blood levels, a measure that seems likely to have low risk and high return on investment to prevent disease and promote health.
A long-term social goal should be to validate optimal levels of vitamin D, especially in women before pregnancy, and work to maintain appropriate levels throughout everyone’s life span. We should not rely only on the potential short-term benefits of using vitamin D supplementation or, worse, synthetic vitamin D analogues (as we did with vitamin E) only after the damage is done.