FYi: I had posted this on another forum in May.

There is a great article on Vitamin D starting on page 44 of May 2008 Cooking Light magazine. It predicts that when the new levels get reset in 2010, they will be increased. ( They don't reset nutrition levels but every 10 years.)

"In the absence of it, you're asking the body to defend itself with one hand tied behind its back."

I was surprised b/c it said that a fair skinned person manufactures as much as 15,000 IU in 30 minutes with optimal sunlight conditions, so that is why they think giving people 10,000 IU as a supplement is okay!

The normal values for daily intake are 200 to 400 IU according to your age, but this information is a decade old.

It gives guidelines on the time of day for the sun to be at a 45 degree angle above the horizon and speaks about those of us who live above the 35 degree of latittude ( North Carolina to Southern California).

An spf of just 8 will block 98 percent of your skin's vitamin D production. So we should not have it on all the time.

They suggest having Vitamin D levels checked with bloodwork for something that insurance usually covers like a cholesterol panel or any other annual test. However they think you should always check with your insurance company first.

Most public libraries have Cooking Light magazine in the periodical area.