Recently a close friend of mine showed me the results of her screening blood test her doctor had done. I was very surprised to see how very low her total Vitamin D level was. Now this is someone who loves to cook and eats well rounded meals. It just brought home the lesson of how widespread vitamin D deficiency is in this country, especially during the winter months. It's something you might not hear your doctors discuss very much.

Scientific studies show that vitamin D has a role to play in 2,000 of the genes in your body. That’s why studies suggest vitamin D has influence in so many diseases from cancer to arthritis and of course osteoporosis. In other words it’s quite clear now that this is a critical vitamin for maintaining overall good health.

What Vitamin D Does

1. It's critical for the proper absorption of calcium
2. Needed for the maintenance of good muscle strength
3. Helps to prevent falls and maintain proper balance
4. Helps prevent cancer at the cellular level by targeting cancer cells for self destruction and slowing the spread of these abnormal cells
5. Assists in immune defense mechanisms
6. Reduces inflammatory changes in blood vessels—therefore may help prevent heart disease

Who Gets Vitamin D Deficiency

1. Studies show low levels in the elderly, young children and women in general
2. More than half of those with type 2 diabetes are deficient
3. Those with darker skin complexions living in our Northern US hemisphere tend to make less vitamin D
4. In the winter months an average total Vitamin D level for the US population is well below the normal level

 How to Correct This Deficiency

The ideal way is to get adequate sun exposure on a daily basis. I don’t know what it’s like where you live, but I can tell you here is Kentucky it is a cold, gray January day, and there’s no way to get any sun.

In order for you the make an adequate amount of vitamin D you would need 15 minutes of direct sun exposure to 40% of your body every day. Wow! The temperature is in the 30s right now, so you can bet that’s impossible for me! And I live in a border state!

Choosing the right vitamin D supplement is also key so make sure you pick the natural vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) form. The medical community previously recommended 400 IU daily and now some experts in osteoporosis are recommending twice that, especially for older adults.

Comparing Vitamins

I did some comparisons just to see what gives the best value. I honestly wanted to be fair and thought I might find a better deal at the local pharmacy. However, I do believe that the BoneMate Plus offered by Unicity gives the best value. You get the highly absorbable form of calcium and vitamin D plus essential minerals all necessary for building strong bones for about $32/month (after rebate) on my web site.

The vitamins at the local pharmacy containing the right form of calcium and vitamin D were priced just under $10 a bottle but the how many tables needed for an adequate daily dose was very different. It would take 3 bottles per month to get the recommended daily dose of calcium and vitamin D. Also, there were no other minerals essential for strong bones present in the vitamin mixtures I looked at.

Some had the calcium carbonate, not the highly absorbable form of calcium you really need, and some had the wrong form of the vitamin D. Bottom line—the local pharmacy varieties may look cheaper but turn out not to be the bargain you may think. Plus they lack the essentials minerals.

If you think you get enough calcium in other supplements or in your food, and need only a vitamin D supplement without the calcium, then your best bet is a vitamin D3 supplement at the local pharmacy. It won't cost that much--probably under $10 a month. But if you need both calcium and vitamin D, then Bone Mate Plus looks like the best formulation.