Report Shows Americans Don't Get Enough Vitamin D

A new report shows only about 10 percent of Americans take in enough vitamin D to ward off diseases.

According to a study released by UC San Diego's School of Medicine and Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., daily intakes of 4,000-8,000 international units of vitamin D are needed to reduce the risk of breast and colon cancers, multiple sclerosis and Type 1 diabetes in half.

Dr. Cedric Garland, professor of family and preventive medicine at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, said most people with that amount of vitamin D in their systems work outdoors.

"I was surprised to find that the intakes required to maintain vitamin D status for disease prevention were so high -- much higher than the minimal intake of vitamin D of 400 IU per day that was needed to defeat rickets in the 20th century,'' she said.

The recommended daily intake of vitamin D is 600 IU.

The 4,000 IU daily intake of vitamin D is considered safe, and there is not believed to be a risk until 10,000 IU are consumed, Garland said.

Vitamin D is found in high amounts in fish oil and cod liver oil, raw oysters and salmon. Sunlight is a major source of vitamin D.

International units were the measuring system used in the study, which appears in the journal Anticancer Research.

City News Service contributed to this report.