Andrea Garen, Registered Dietitian
Andrea Garen
About me:
Andrea Garen is a registered dietitian and project manager for Dairy Council of California. She manages the marketing and editorial strategies for Meals Matter.org, which includes social media efforts and online tool development. She is a contributing writer to the Meals Matter.org blog and has also written and edited numerous nutrition education materials for parents and children.
As a spokesperson for Dairy Council, she speaks widely on consumer health and nutrition issues for radio, television, print and online outlets. With a Master's degree in dietetics from San Francisco State University, Garen has been invited to speak at University of California, Berkeley; University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco State University and California State University, Hayward.
As a mother of two young children, she is passionate about nutritious food and reality-based eating, which means choosing nutritious foods and preparing them in a way that makes them taste great. Sometimes that means minimal preparation and other times it means following a more detailed recipe. She believes that no foods are off limits!
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I recently attended a nutrition conference and heard Michael F. Holick, PhD, MD, present the latest research on vitamin D. For years, I’ve been following the research on vitamin D and have been aware of its importance in the diet.
Vitamin D deficiency is associated with rickets, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, coronary heart disease, cancer, infections and high blood pressure. Whew! That’s a lot of diseases.
What I didn’t realize is that almost everyone who lives in northern latitudes (in California that means everyone who lives north of Los Angeles) is at risk for vitamin D deficiency!
Vitamin D is often referred to as the sunshine vitamin because our skin was designed to make vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. Yet, it’s very difficult to make vitamin D during the winter in northern latitudes (and since I live in foggy San Francisco that means during the summer too!). And, sunscreen with SPF 30 reduces vitamin D synthesis by 95-99%.
So, my vigilant sunscreen use might be helping me to stave off premature aging and protect my children from skin cancer but it isn’t helping my (or my children’s) vitamin D status! What’s a mother to do?
The Academy of Pediatrics estimates that up to half of adolescents have low vitamin D levels. Since so many people are at risk for the diseases associated with vitamin D deficiency the American Academy of Pediatrics and Institutes of Medicine (IOM) have both recently increased vitamin D recommendations (400 IU for 0-5 years old; 600 IU for 5-70 years old and 800 IU for 70+ years old).
Vitamin D in the Diet
It is especially important for individuals with limited sun exposure to include good sources of vitamin D in their diet. Yet, vitamin D is rare in foods. Milk is one of the best food sources of vitamin D.
Milk typically contains 100 IU per serving. People who consume milk consume 180 percent more vitamin D than those who don’t drink milk. In addition, salmon contains varying amounts of vitamin D ranging from 100-250 IU in farmed salmon and up to 500 IU in wild salmon.
Simple ways to boost your intake:
• Aim for 3 cups of vitamin D-fortified milk a day.
• Use milk instead of water in making hot chocolate, soups and sauces.
• Choose vitamin D-fortified yogurts, cheese and orange juice whenever possible.
• Check labels and choose breakfast cereals that are fortified with vitamin D.
• Include tuna on a regular basis, in sandwiches, casseroles or salads
• Grill or bake salmon for a vitamin D-rich meal, once a week if possible.
Let the Sunshine In
In addition to vitamin D from foods, Dr. Holick recommends sensible sun exposure: Never burn but 5-15 minutes of sun on the arms and legs during peak sun hours (10am-3pm) 2-3 times per week is OK, then use sun protection!
Vitamin D Supplements
As we learn more about vitamin D and its health benefits, some experts are recommending much higher levels for optimal effects. According to Dr. Holick, everyone can safely consume 1,000 to 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily to prevent deficiency, which may mean that a supplement is necessary.
He even recommends that certain populations, such as older people, cancer patients, and pregnant and lactating women, consume as much as 2000 IU vitamin D per day to prevent disease, pregnancy complications and deficiency in infants since breast milk contains very little vitamin D.
This information certainly got me thinking about making foods rich in vitamin D, such as milk and salmon, a top priority in my family's diet. It also made me reconsider allowing myself to get some sun exposure. (Now maybe when I go hiking or walking I can let my skin be exposed for a period of time and not be so covered up that I look like the invisibile man.) I hope it got you thinking too!
Andrea Garen, Registered Dietitian