January 27, 2006

Sunny days make most of us feel better. Lately, the sun hasn’t peeked out very often. Gray days can affect mood, nutrition and health. Too little sunlight, along with inadequate food choices, can result in vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D can be formed in the body by the action of sunlight on the skin.
In northern parts of the U.S., walking around in shorts, sandals and a T-shirt in midwinter to “catch some rays” and make some vitamin D might warrant a few stares on the street. You might end up with frostbite, too.

Northern climates tend to keep people “under wraps” for several months. We wear coats, long pants, hats, scarves and gloves to stay warm when we’re outside. We rush from heated house to heated vehicle to heated offices and stores. This doesn’t leave much time for vitamin D to be produced on exposed skin.

Among the most at risk of vitamin D shortfalls are dark-skinned people (particularly African Americans), the elderly, newborns, housebound people and people, who by culture or climate, keep their bodies completely covered.

Vitamin D works with calcium to build and maintain strong bones. That’s why vitamin D is added to calcium-rich milk. Without vitamin D, the body only absorbs about 10 percent of dietary calcium. When vitamin D is present, the body absorbs up to 80 percent of dietary calcium. One cup of milk provides about a fourth of the recommended daily value.

Vitamin D deficiency is linked to development of bone-softening diseases, such as rickets among children, and osteomalacia and osteoporosis among adults. Rickets was a common childhood condition until milk was fortified with vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency also is linked to the development of type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, osteoarthritis, depression and certain types of cancer.

Vitamin D deficiency is considered an epidemic among teens. Nearly a third of adolescents across the U.S. are considered to be at risk of vitamin D deficiency because of their diet and lifestyle habits, according to the Dairy Council of California. The teens are substituting soda pop for milk and staying indoors to watch TV.

On the flip side, too much sun promotes skin cancer, so experts are trying to come up with a recommendation for sun exposure. During the summer months, liberally slathering on sunscreen effectively prevents the body from forming vitamin D.

So, what should we do? Choose more vitamin D-rich foods. Besides milk, vitamin D is found in some fortified juices and cereals. Some types of yogurt also are fortified with vitamin D. Read Nutrition Facts labels to learn more. Vitamin D is found naturally in lesser amounts in eggs and salmon. It’s also found in cod liver oil, but that’s a rare menu item.

Be cautious about supplements because you can get too much vitamin D. A one-a-day type supplement is adequate for most people. If you take a calcium supplement, be sure it includes vitamin D, too.

Here’s a recipe from “3-A-Day of Dairy.” Have a glass of low-fat or fat-free milk as an accompaniment to increase your vitamin D and calcium intake.

Cinnamon French Toast

2 eggs
4 egg whites
1 c. milk
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
8 pieces toast, wheat or white
Toppings (vanilla yogurt, strawberries, blueberries)

In a bowl, beat together the eggs, egg whites, milk and cinnamon. Dip each piece of bread into the egg mixture and coat thoroughly. Place on a greased, preheated skillet and cook for about two minutes per side. Makes four servings. Each serving has 400 calories, 8 grams of fat, 67 grams of carbohydrate and 455 milligrams of calcium.

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Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Rich Mattern, (701) 231-6136, richard.mattern@ndsu.nodak.edu

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