My vitamin D levels are low, should I take a supplement?
By Peter Ebeling , University of Melbourne If your blood test results suggest you’re low on vitamin D, you’re not alone – nearly one-third of the Australian population isn’t getting enough of the sunshine vitamin. But this doesn’t necessarily mean you need to take a supplement. Contrary to some reports, there is no evidence that taking vitamin D supplements reduces your risk of developing diabetes, colon cancer, arthritis or infections, or that supplements help you live longer. In some cases, taking a supplement merely means you’re wasting your money. But if you’re taking high doses, you may be doing more harm than good. What is vitamin D? Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that is not readily available in the diet, apart from in fatty fish, ultraviolet (UV) light-irradiated mushrooms and green leafy vegetables. In fact, an average diet only provides one-sixth of the daily requirement for vitamin D, or about 110 international units (IU). In many countries, including the United...