What actually causes vitamin D deficiency?
Nearly a quarter of Americans are estimated to have a vitamin D deficiency. Why is that?
A 2022 study of National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) data estimated that about 22% of Americans have a moderate vitamin D deficiency. That number was higher in women, African Americans, people between the ages of 20 and 29 and all people in general during the winter months.
The body absorbs vitamin D through diet (both food and supplements) and from sunlight via the skin. It's essential for "bone health, immune function, muscle strength, mental health and potentially cardiovascular health," Washington, D.C.-based dietitian Caroline Thomason, R.D., previously told USA TODAY.
How can you tell if you actually need help getting more vitamin D? Here's what health experts say.
How much vitamin D per day?
It depends on their age. The recommended dietary allowance, as dictated by the National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements, is 10 mcg (400 IU) for infants up to 12 months, 15 mcg (600 IU) for ages 1 to 70 and 20 mcg (800 IU) for those older than 70.
For reference, a 3-ounce portion of rainbow trout contains about 16 mcg of vitamin D, while a cup of vitamin D-fortified milk contains about 3 mcg, per WebMD. Other foods high in vitamin D include fortified cereals (around 2 mcg) and orange juice (2.5 mcg).It's often difficult to get a full day's worth of vitamin D from diet alone, which is why getting outside – and sometimes adding supplements when medical professionals suggest it – is important, too.
In the spring and summer when about 25% of the body is normally exposed to the sun, it takes about 8 to 10 minutes of sun exposure to produce the recommended amount of vitamin D, according to UCLA Health. And if you need more, many over-the-counter vitamin D supplements range from 25 to 125 mcg (1,000 to 5,000 IU). You shouldn't take more than 100 mcg (4,000 IU) of vitamin D in a day unless a doctor recommends you do so to combat a deficiency, Thomason says.
Heads up: Consider these 4 doctor-approved tips to help maintain strong, healthy bones
What causes vitamin D deficiency?
Vitamin D deficiency can result for a number of reasons, from not spending enough time outside to having certain health conditions to having a darker skin pigment, according to Yale Medicine.
"Many Americans are deficient in vitamin D due to limited sun exposure from indoor lifestyles, sunscreen use and our northern latitude," Thomason says. "Plus in Northern America, our typical diet is low in vitamin D-rich foods like fatty fish and fortified products."
Health conditions that make it difficult for bodies to absorb vitamin D include inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, pancreas conditions, cystic fibrosis, kidney or liver failure and certain cancers including lymphoma, per Yale. People who have had sections of the small intestine removed, or those who have had bariatric weight loss surgery may have similar issues, too.
In case you missed: What does Vitamin D do and how do I know if I am getting enough? Experts weigh in.
What are signs of low vitamin D?
Potential signs of vitamin D deficiency can range from "subtle to severe," Thomason says. They can include "muscle weakness, fatigue, mood changes, frequent infections, hair loss, bone pain and slow wound healing."
If you're experiencing any of those symptoms, experts say it's best to check in with your primary care physician.
"The most reliable way to check vitamin D levels is a blood test, and consultation with a healthcare provider is recommended for personalized advice," Thomason says.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
Republicans defend cuts to Medicaid and renewable energy in Big Beautiful Bill: ‘absolutely out of control'
Key Republican senators pushed back Sunday against criticism of cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill, including Medicaid work restrictions and the elimination of many green energy subsidies. The Senate version of President Trump's signature tax and spending legislation imposes 80 hours a month work requirements on able-bodied adults, including those with children ages 15 and up. It also reduces the health care provider tax, which helps fund state Medicaid plans. Critics argue that those changes could result in millions of people losing access to Medicaid, which provides health care to over 70 million low-income Americans. 'There's 35 million people under the poverty line inside the United States, and there's 70 million people that are signed up for Medicaid,' Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) told NBC's 'Meet the Press' Sunday. 'What we are focused on is making sure that Medicaid is there for people in the future that need it and get rid of the fraud, waste and abuse.' 5 Progressive activists have protested against the Medicaid reform provisions in the megabill. Getty Images 5 President Trump has lashed out at senators who have opposed advancing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Getty Images Medicaid reform is the largest source of savings in the megabill, with the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimating the legislative bundle would reduce Medicaid costs by about $930 billion over the next decade. Several senators have been uneasy about the Medicaid reform in the Senate bill, which goes further than the House version of the megabill. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), for example, voted against proceeding with the bill Saturday, citing Medicaid as his top concern. 'I cannot support this bill in its current form. It would result in tens of billions of dollars in lost funding for North Carolina, including our hospitals and rural communities,' Tillis said in a statement Saturday. 'This will force the state to make painful decisions like eliminating Medicaid coverage for hundreds of thousands in the expansion population, and even reducing critical services for those in the traditional Medicaid population.' 5 Sen. Markwayne Mullin defended the Medicaid reforms as reasonable. REUTERS Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) had raged against the Medicaid provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, but stopped short of opposing the measure. 'We can't be cutting health care for working people and for poor people in order to constantly give special tax treatment to corporations and other entities,' Hawley told NBC News last week. The Senate bill includes bigger cuts to business taxes, including a permanent deductions for R&D spending. Despite those concerns, key senators defended the Medicaid reforms on the Sunday shows as the Senate forges ahead with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. 'The entitlement spending in this nation is absolutely out of control. You can rewind back to the 1960s, when actual mandatory spending, which is what these entitlements are, only made up about a third of federal spending,' Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) told CNN's 'State of the Union' Sunday. 'Now, if you take that, plus the interest on our debt, it's about 73 percent of what we spend.' 5 Sen. Katie Britt called the reforms reminiscent of Clinton-era policies. Bloomberg via Getty Images Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) also touted plans to consider an amendment that would ensure illegal immigrants don't get access to Medicaid. 'Remember, the Medicaid reforms in this bill are about work requirements and taking illegals off of Medicaid,' Banks told 'Fox News Sunday.' Another closely watched amendment from Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) would lower the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP), which determines the percentage of Medicaid costs covered by Uncle Sam. Scott's amendment would lower FMAP for able-bodied, childless adults. The amendment has been used to win over fiscal hawks such as Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), who had threatened to vote against the megabill due to concerns about the deficit. 5 Sen. Jim Banks hailed the legislative bundle for slashing green energy subsidies. Getty Images In addition to the Medicaid reform, senators also defended the cuts to Biden-era renewable energy subsidies, something that has infuriated tech mogul and one-time Trump 'first buddy' Elon Musk. 'The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country!' Musk fumed on X Saturday. 'Utterly insane and destructive. It gives handouts to industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future.' The Senate version of the megabill significantly rolls back tax credits for green energy in the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act and requires key projects to go into service by the conclusion of 2027 to qualify. It also features an excise tax that takes aim at solar and wind projects. 'Again, $1.6 trillion in spending cuts by eliminating the Green New Deal tax credits. Those scams that were passed during the Biden administration,' Banks added. 'Much of it is phased out in a quick period of time over the next two or three years.'
The Hill
4 hours ago
- The Hill
GOP tax bill would mean 11.8 million people uninsured, $1.1 trillion in health cuts
The Senate Republicans' tax and spending bill, which is speeding through the chamber, would result in deeper health care cuts and more people without insurance than the version that passed the House, according to a report from the Congressional Budget Office. The legislation would result in 11.8 million Americans without insurance by 2034, CBO found: nearly 1 million more people without insurance than the House version. That amount includes an estimated 1.4 million people without 'verified citizenship, nationality, or satisfactory immigration status' who would lose their state-funded coverage. The legislation would also cut federal spending on Medicaid, Medicare and Obamacare by $1.1 trillion, with more than $1 trillion coming from Medicaid. The CBO's analysis confirms that despite President Trump's repeated pledges he was only cutting waste, fraud and abuse in Medicaid, the legislation would enact an unprecedented reduction in the program currently used by more than 70 million low-income Americans. The bill would achieve its savings in various ways, but the bulk of the cuts come from a strict national work requirement and new restrictions on state-levied taxes on health providers. Under the bill, for the first time in the history of the Medicaid program, beneficiaries would need to prove they are working or in school at least 80 hours a month to keep their health insurance. The Senate version extends the requirement to low-income parents of children older than 14, in addition to childless adults without disabilities. The work requirements are projected to save about $325 billion over a decade. The provider taxes were the second-largest Medicaid cut in the House bill, after the work requirements. The cuts are even larger under the Senate design. Those changes would reduce spending by nearly $191 billion over a decade, according to the CBO estimate. The provider tax provisions have been among the most controversial in the Senate. States impose taxes on providers to boost their federal Medicaid contributions, which they then redirect to hospitals in the form of higher reimbursements. Limiting provider taxes is a long-held conservative goal, as they argue states are gaming the current system and driving up federal Medicaid spending. But senators representing states with poor, rural populations have objected to the scale of the cuts, including Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.). The House bill would freeze the tax rate for most states, but the Senate version would require many states to lower their existing rates. As an incentive for senators uncomfortable with the provider tax cuts, the bill includes a $25 billion fund to aid rural hospitals. But that amount wasn't enough to sway Tillis, who voted with Democrats against a procedural motion late Saturday night. Hawley voted for the motion and said he would support the bill despite his misgivings over the Medicaid cuts. Additional details of the bill are in flux as negotiations between Republicans continue and the Senate parliamentarian reviews key pieces of the bill to determine if they follow the legislative rules. Lawmakers are facing down a White House-pushed July 4th deadline to pass the bill in the Senate, and then again in the House, and put it on President Trump's desk.
USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
Summer travel health care: 3 essential steps to avoid surprise medical bills
Amid the summer travel season, many people nationwide are gearing up for trips across the country and overseas. While having fun with family and friends is likely at the top of your checklist, how ready would you be if you became ill or injured on your trip? For most people, they are not very ready. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of Americans said they would not know what to do if they needed medical care while traveling away from home, according to a new eHealth survey. The survey also found 54% of Americans incorrectly believe their health plan generally includes coverage while traveling internationally. Whether you're planning a cross-country road trip or an international adventure, understanding your health insurance coverage while traveling is crucial for avoiding unexpected medical bills and ensuring you receive proper care when needed. Here are three steps to help with that before, during, and after your trip: Before your trip It is a good idea to schedule a wellness visit, if you have not had one already. This appointment can help determine your fitness for travel and identify potential health issues. Best of all, these annual preventive exams are typically covered at no additional out-of-pocket cost as part of your health plan. Likewise, your physician can check if you and your family members are up to date on recommended vaccinations, which can be especially important when traveling internationally. Vacationing on a budget: How the economy is influencing 2025 summer travel Finally, whether you are covered through an employer or individual plan, Medicare and Medicaid, check with your plan to understand what is covered while traveling outside of your home area, including to determine whether any U.S. destinations will have in-network care providers available and whether any international destinations will have coverage at all. During your trip It's important to know emergency care will typically be covered by your plan, assuming you are still in the U.S. For people with Medicare Advantage, these plans may include limited coverage for non-emergency care outside of the plan's local or regional provider network. If traveling internationally, most health insurance plans, including Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage, have limited or no coverage for care, other than a few limited exceptions such as when you're on a cruise ship in U.S. territorial waters. If you need medical care on your trip, make sure to keep a digital or physical copy of your insurance card and list of emergency contacts. Also, consider bringing a credit card credit in case you need to pay out of pocket for medical care in a foreign country. After your trip Make sure to save all documentation, including any bills, receipts and medical records, if you did receive care while traveling. These are important if you file a reimbursement claim with your insurer, in cases where the care may be covered. Some plans require claims to be submitted within a specific timeframe, so don't delay. If you visited an out-of-network provider, ask about setting up a payment plan if the bill is substantial. Finally, evaluate what type of additional coverage may be necessary moving forward, such as a travel insurance plan, which may include coverage for emergency medical care abroad, medical evacuation or trip cancellation. For people who qualify for Medicare, consider enrolling in a Medicare Supplement plan, ideally when you first become eligible for Medicare. Medicare Supplement plans may include an emergency care benefit for international travel. By considering these tips, your health insurance can be a safety net — not a stressor — on your summer getaway. Whitney Stidom is vice president of consumer enablement at eHealth, a leading online health insurance marketplace that helps consumers confidently navigate their health benefit decisions.
