Vitamin D - the "Sunshine Vitamin"

Vitamin D – the “Sunshine Vitamin” Acts as a Bone and Immune System Health Booster

Now, more than ever, we want to give our children an immunity booster and look out for their bone health! So let’s give a shoutout to Vitamin D! We always recommend providing children a little extra Vitamin D to promote a healthy musculoskeletal system and immune system during this pandemic.

We are privileged at Cactus Pediatric Orthopaedics to care for kids with great parents, many of whom are tuned into a healthy lifestyle for the whole family.  Hence, parents often ask, “Is there a supplement that I can give my kids to strengthen their bones?” Yes! And that “yes” centers on vitamin D and calcium. We all know that calcium is the most important mineral for healthy bones.  Vitamin D helps mobilize Calcium from the diet into the bloodstream and ultimately into bones and other organ systems where it is needed.

You have probably heard that Vitamin D is the “Sunshine Vitamin,” meaning that sun exposure to the skin helps convert inactive forms of Vitamin D that we eat into the active form that the body uses.  As an Arizona parent you might assume that kids running around and playing sports outside here have all the Vitamin D they need.  Unfortunately, that is not the case.  Some of our colleagues conducted research and found that kids in sunny climates still have a high incidence of vitamin D deficiency.  Other studies nationwide, show a 40 to 60% increase in fractures in kids over the past 4 decades.  What gives?

A couple of factors contribute to low Vitamin D levels.  The contemporary diet in many homes doesn’t expose people to some of the vitamin D heavy foods that prior generations grew up with, such as oily fish, liver, and even the amount of dairy they get.  Also, for good reason, we layer our kids with sunscreen that blocks UVB rays that convert vitamin D to an active form; that’s a good thing as our desert sun is overly rich in UVB that can burn the skin and trigger skin cancer formation!  So keep up the sunscreen and keep up a healthy level of outdoor activity. But do consider some supplemental vitamin D and calcium.  As pediatric orthopedic specialists, we recommend at least 600IU of vitamin D3 for most of our school age kids.  For junior high and high school kids we up the vitamin D3 to 2000IU a day. 

Always feel free to double check this recommendation with your primary care doctors, who we always respect as the main guide for general health and nutrition.

And good luck to all your little ones when it is safe to return to the playground and the playing field. Stay healthy, safe, and sane in the meantime!