Concerned about your health? Experts from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton are ready to answer readers’ questions. Send your questions to askthedoc@rwjuhh.edu
I’m going through menopause and my doctor suggested that I increase my daily vitamin D intake. Are there ways I can work more vitamin D into my diet naturally?
Vitamin D is one of many tools that physicians recommend to help prevent osteoporosis and promote bone health—especially in women going through menopause, as well as older men. But recent studies have shown that more than 40 percent of adults have lower than normal vitamin D levels.
Adults under age 70 should take 800 to 1,000 international units of vitamin D each day.
If you don’t wish to take a vitamin D supplement, there are plenty of others ways to add extra vitamin D to your diet naturally. For starters, try incorporating these foods into your diet: cod liver oil, 1 tablespoon—1360 units; salmon (sockeye), cooked, 3 oz.—794 units; mackerel, cooked, 3 oz.—388 units; tuna fish, canned in water, drained, 3 oz.—154 units; milk, vitamin D fortified, 8 oz.—115 to 124 units; orange juice, vitamin D fortified, 8 oz.—about 100 units (variable); yogurt, vitamin D fortified, 6 oz.—about 80 units (variable); ready-to-eat cereal, vitamin D fortified, 6-8 oz.—about 40 units (variable).
You can also try to get 10-20 minutes of sun exposure each day to help supplement your daily vitamin D intake.
As with all vitamins, there is such a thing as too much. A safe limit of vitamin D is 4,000 international units daily. If you’re taking more than that and experiencing side effects such as increased urination, thirst or vomiting, decrease your daily vitamin D intake and speak to your physician.
—Dr. Anjali Bhandarkar, RWJ Family & Internal Medicine, RWJ Center for Women’s Health
This content is intended to encourage a healthy lifestyle. For medical advice and treatment, see a physician. Concerned about your health? Send your questions to askthedoc@rwjuhh.edu
,
