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With few food sources, many people may have low vitamin D

Category: Vitamin D Deficiency-Diagnosis and Treatment

Blood testing for vitamin D may play an important role in a person's overall health. Experts say that very few people in the U.S. consume adequate quantities of the nutrient, which may put them at risk for potentially serious health consequences.

Dr. Sharon Bergquist, a professor at the Emory School of Medicine, told My Fox Atlanta that there are relatively few food sources of vitamin D outside of oily fish and fortified milk and orange juice. This is why so few people get enough of the nutrient from their diets.

She recommended that individuals consider taking nutritional supplements to overcome these problems. A daily multivitamin containing 400 international units of vitamin D may be enough to help adults maintain adequate levels of the nutrient and avoid the health complications that often attend deficiencies.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that about one-third of adults have insufficient levels of vitamin D. A deficiency of the nutrient has been linked to an increased risk of musculoskeletal problems, heart disease and some cancers.