The benefits of vitamin D have been well researched and documented, but, unfortunately, most of us just aren’t getting enough of it. That’s why we at SmartyPants Vitamins have increased the amount of Vitamin D3 in our All-in-One Vitamins. Where our Kids’ gummies once carried 400 IU (International Units) of vitamin D3, now our All-in-One vitamins for Kids contain 600 IU. Our Adult All-in-One vitamins have had their vitamin D3 increased from 600 to 900 IU. That’s a 50% increase in vitamin D in all our bottles! We did this because we know it isn’t good enough to just meet the baseline of FDA recommendations for vitamin D3 intake. We want our customers to reach optimal levels of vitamin D, because it’s one of the most essential vitamins for our bodies.
The primary role of vitamin D is to help us absorb calcium so that we can build and maintain strong bones and teeth. Too little vitamin D can cause calcium levels in the blood to decrease, forcing our bodies to pull its needed calcium from our own bones. This can lead to rickets in children and osteoporosis in adults. But vitamin D has been shown to help in many ways beyond calcium absorption. Muscles need vitamin D to move, nerves need it to carry messages between the brain and every body part, and the immune system needs vitamin D to fight off invading bacteria and viruses. In recent years, researchers have learned that it may help to prevent several cancers, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, psoriasis, diabetes, psychosis, and respiratory infections including colds and flu. Recent research has suggested that Vitamin D is 800% more effective than vaccines at preventing influenza infections in children.
We can get vitamin D through foods such as fortified milk and cereals as well as eggs, certain fish like salmon, tuna and mackerel, but the amounts these carry are not nearly sufficient to lift blood concentrations of vitamin D to optimal levels. Sun exposure is the best way to get it; UV-B rays trigger skin cells to manufacture vitamin D. Unfortunately, sunscreen blocks vitamin D synthesis in the skin, and in northern latitudes (above that of Atlanta, Georgia) the sun is at too low an angle for half the year to provide sufficient UV radiation. That’s why experts recommend exposing your bare skin to the sun without sunscreen for 15 to 30 minutes a day.
As many as 3 quarters of US teens and adults are deficient in vitamin D, according to a study published in The Archives of Internal Medicine in 2009. Widespread vitamin D deficiency in the population as a whole, along with the difficulties in getting enough vitamin D through food alone, suggest that most people need to take a vitamin D supplement. That’s why vitamin D has always been an essential ingredient in all SmartyPants gummies, and it’s why we’ve increased the vitamin D in our Kids gummies from 400 IU to 600 IU, and in our Adult gummies from 600 IU to 900 IU.
Don’t be worried that these increases are too much. With exposure to sunlight in the summer, the body can generate between 10,000 IU and 20,000 IU of vitamin D per hour with no negative effects. What’s more, no adverse effects have been seen with supplemental vitamin D intakes up to 10,000 IU daily.
So don’t wait to order your bottle of SmartyPants All-in-One vitamins, now with more vitamin D3 than ever!
