The days are finally getting longer, but the sun is still low in the sky — and that means you probably aren’t getting your recommended daily allowance of vitamin D through solar rays alone.
Is a vitamin D supplement in order?
“It’s something that could be helpful for many people,” says Northeastern clinician researcher Carla Bouwmeester.
She says recent studies have shown that most people in the United States are not getting the recommended dietary amount of vitamin D, which is 600 international units (15 mcg) for those ages 1-70.
Unlike with some other vitamins, supplementation with vitamin D is relatively safe — it’s difficult, although not impossible, to consume too much, says Bouwmeester, a clinical professor of pharmacy and health system sciences at Northeastern’s Bouvé College of Health Sciences.
