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Do you get enough Vitamin D? Do you even know how much you get daily or how much is recommended?  Have you had your Vitamin D level checked? My endocrinologist checked mine about almost 2 years ago, and I’ve been taking Vitamin D supplements ever since. Of course my physician monitors my Vitamin D levels through routine blood tests.

Well, today the Institute of Medicine is expected to release its recommendation to increase daily Vitamin D intake from 200 international units to 600 international units. The Institute is also expected to recommend raising the upper limit of Vitamin D intake for adults  from 2000 IUs to 4000 IUs.  Why is Vitamin D important? I think Vitamin D has gained more attention recently as we are not the sun lovers we once were. More of us consistently use sunscreen and kids don’t seem to play outside all day long like we did as kids.  As we  all know, Vitamin D is crucial to bone health but did you know that low levels may also contribute to many chronic diseases like-Alzheimer’s Disease, dementia, cognitive decline, diabetes, cancer, auto- immune diseases, depression, stroke, infections, and even heart disease. That is why Vitamin D is crucial to your health!

Are you regularly eating foods containing Vitamin D? What foods contain Vitamin D? Here are some food and beverages containing Vitamin D, of course this is not a comprehensive list-just a sampling.  Salmon-wild, Alaskan, sockeye; fish oil; mollusks; Steelhead trout; herring; sardines; halibut; variety of milks-soy, almond, rice, cow, goat; fortified orange juice; mushrooms; spinach; potatoes; eggs; cheese;  puddings prepared with milk.

So now that you’ve read all this, what should you do? First, continue to eat a well balanced diet as that promotes anti-aging and healthy aging. Continue to exercise your brain and your body.  It’s the combination of brain exercise, physical exercise, and healthy eating that increase your odds for longevity and a healthy life. What have you got to lose except maybe your brain health, chronic diseases and illness, or your life? Perhaps it’s time for a checkup with your physician  that includes lab work to check your Vitamin D level to at least establish your baseline.