Why are we not getting enough Vitamin D today?Vitamin D was discovered by Edward Mellanby in 1922 while researching a cure for rickets. The deficiency of this vitamin causes bones to soften which results in fractures and deformities. Rickets is one of the most frequent childhood diseases in many countries. There are several forms of this important vitamin. The two that benefit us the most are:
*Heart disease 
Where do we get this vitamin from? *Fortified Milk and Cereals(most provide D2 which the body does not utilize as well as D3) Foods rich in Vitamin D Dermatologists have been warning us to wear sunscreen when out in the sun to protect us from UV damage. If we use sunscreen, our skin is not getting enough direct sun exposure (UV-B)to make the Vitamin D that we need. This is the only vitamin that is an active form of a fat-soluble hormone manufactured in the skin naturally from the ultraviolet rays of the sun. Researchers have recently discovered that brief solar exposures (15 minutes) around noon, when wavelengths are shorter and strike at a more indirect angle, should be recommended rather than longer solar exposures in the morning or afternoon (without sunscreen). If you get enough exposure in the summer, your body will make and store enough of the vitamin to get you through the winter. Darkly pigmented skin does not take in enough sunlight to make this vitamin as efficiently, unless you live where there is plenty of sun. People are more susceptible to breast and colon cancer where there is little sunshine. Studies are being done on the effect of this particular vitamin in the reproduction and differentiation of cells with cancer and the aging process. 
The recommendation for daily supplement intake is 400 IU. It is now being increased to 1000 IU. Take the D3 form(cholecalciferol) along with a meal that has fat to ensure absorption. Studies also show that magnesium and boron can raise levels of Vitamin D in the body. There is no concern about toxicity with the new recommendation. Your body can make 10,000 to 20,000 IU per day with moderate exposure of the summer sun.
I live in the southern United States where there is a lot of sun. I see my dermatologist regularly for a skin examination. I followed the doctors warnings about staying out of the sun and to use a high SPF sunscreen. I was having problems with the circulation in my legs, issues with my bones, troubles keeping sugar levels stable and feeling depressed. When I received information from my doctor(who keeps up on all of the latest research), about the deficiencies in Vitamin D, I now go out at lunchtime and walk for 30 minutes and take my vitamin supplements. Since I have been doing that, the symptoms are going away and I feel a lot healthier! It's also used as a treatment for psoriasis, which I suffered from over the years.
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