By Raji Edayathumangalam, PhD The answer to that question
depends on whether your daily vitamin D intake is adequate or
whether you have any risk factors for vitamin D deficiency and
adverse effects on bone health. Factors that place individuals
in the high-risk category include obesity, very dark skin, not
spending adequate time in the sun daily, habitually wearing
sunscreen (which reduces skin’s capacity to make vitamin D),
always wearing protective clothing, osteoporosis, taking anti-
seizure medications that accelerate vitamin D clearance from the
body, inflammatory bowel disorder with distal small bowel
removed (where much of the vitamin D is absorbed), and other
vitamin D malabsorption disorders. If one or more of these risk
factors applies to you, then the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and
expert researchers collectively recommend that your healthcare
provider measure your blood vitamin D levels to determine what
your daily vitamin D intake should be. Further, they recommend
that your clinician re-measure