Vitamin D Comes in Various Forms
By Cheryl Bell;features@pantagraph.com
Q:I have been diagnosed having an extremely low vitamin D level and also am in menopause. I cannot afford the good “healthy” foods needed for a healthy diet. I do take 2,000 units of vitamin D daily. My age is 49. Can you suggest foods that would be the most beneficial, at a low cost?
A Vitamin D is one of the fat-soluble vitamins. This means the vitamin is stored in the fatty tissue in our bodies and fat is needed for its absorption. Vitamin D helps to maintain levels of calcium and phosphorus in the blood. It also assists in the absorption of calcium to help make strong bones. It may also help prevent osteoporosis, hypertension (high blood pressure), cancer and other diseases.
There are many different forms of “vitamin D.” Two forms that are important to the human body are ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) and cholecalciferol (vitamin D3). Vitamin D2 is made by plants. Vitamin D3 is made by humans in the skin when it is exposed to ultraviolet- B (UVB) rays from sunlight. This is why vitamin D is referred to as “the sunshine vitamin.” Foods may be fortified with vitamin D2 or D3.
In general, an individual can get an adequate amount of vitamin D from sunlight exposure from being outside for about 10 minutes a day three times a week. Some foods also contain some vitamin D. These foods include fish, eggs, fortified milk, cod liver oil, cheese, butter, cream, oysters, margarine and fortified cereals. It is recommended to have a varied diet following the food guide pyramid guidelines to help meet the vitamin D recommendations.
Recommended intakes for vitamin D, according to Medline Plus and Mayo Clinic, are:- Males, females (including pregnant and lactating females) under 50 years old: 200 International Units per day- Males and Females 50-70 years old: 400 IU/day- Males and Females 70+ years old: 600 IU/day
The upper limit is 2,000 IU/day. Getting too much vitamin D could make your intestines absorb too much calcium, which could lead to high levels of calcium in the blood. This may leave calcium deposits on soft tissues in the body such as on the heart and lungs. These deposits may reduce the ability of the heart and lungs to function appropriately. Too much vitamin D or calcium may cause kidney stones, vomiting or muscle weakness.
Since you are taking 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily, I would recommend following up with your physician as you may be getting vitamin D from sunlight exposure and from some of the foods you eat as well. With this in mind, you may be getting too much vitamin D. Also, your pharmacist may be a good resource to talk to about any medications or prescriptions you are taking that may affect your vitamin D absorption.
Q: I have switched from white rice to brown rice. When I prepare my rice, I boil it in a big pot of water. When the rice is tender, I drain it. Someone told me that I may be losing all the benefits of the rice by pouring the cooking liquid down the drain. Is this true?
A: I would suggest that you cook the rice two to four minutes longer or take it off the heat source and let it sit for a few minutes to avoid having to pour off the liquid. Ideally, the rice should soak up all of the water or liquid that you use.
If you do pour off some of the liquid, I would agree that you may lose some of the nutrients, but I would suspect that you would not lose a significant amount.
For additional information and preparation tips, check out these Web sites: – www.riceland.com/consumers/faqs/cooking.asp#1- http:// lancaster.unl.edu/food/ciq-brown-rice.shtml#preparing- www.usarice.com/consumer/prep.html
Bell, a dietitian and chef, is a Meijer Healthy Living Adviser for Illinois and Indiana. Contact her with questions about cooking or nutrition at features@pantagraph.com.
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