Vitamin D has made a lot of headlines lately, but there's still confusion over what's so special about the sunshine vitamin and how much you really need to reap the benefits. The human body naturally produces vitamin D after exposing the skin to sunlight. Vitamin D is also available by eating foods like fish, eggs, fortified milk and juice, and cod liver oil. Currently the recommended daily intake for vitamin D is 200 international units for people younger than 50, and 400 IUs for 51 to 70 year olds. But these recommendations are out of date, with most new research suggesting the amount be increased to at least 1,000 IUs! Even at the current lower recommendation, 77% of people still aren't getting their daily dose of D, according to the Centers for Disease Control. That's particularly distressing because vitamin D regulates up to 2,000 different genes in the human body, or roughly 10-percent of our makeup! Plus, scientists have long known about D's ability to help the body absorb calcium. Without proper levels of vitamin D, children may develop soft bones, or rickets, while adults can experience porous bones, or osteoporosis.Recent research has also linked vitamin D deficiency to AT LEAST 17 varieties of cancer, plus other serious issues, like: heart disease, stroke, hypertension, and muscle wasting. Not having enough D can also lead to DAILY problems, like chronic pain, depression, and diabetes. Clearly, getting enough of the sunshine vitamin is vital. But how do you know if you're among the D-deficient majority? First, understand that it's extremely difficult to get ALL of the Vitamin D you need from food sources alone. To so do, you would need to drink a half quart of milk or consume two servings of fatty fish such as tuna or salmon EVERY day. The traditional and most efficient way to get plenty of vitamin D is from limited, safe sun exposure. For people with light skin, that's just 10-15 minutes of sunlight. Darker skinned individuals may need as many as 40 minutes. But be careful: It is possible to get too much of a good thing. Current recommendations for skin cancer prevention include sun-avoidance and wearing at least an SPF 15 sunblock on your face every day--both of which make sun exposure for Vitamin D health problematic, to say the least! Because there are so many factors at play in the quest for the nutrient, it's a good idea for EVERYONE to get their blood levels checked during their regular health exam. If you're D-deficient, taking a daily vitamin D supplement with at least 1,000 IUs of the nutrient is an easy way to help. All vitamin D supplementation should be supervised by your doctor, since it's possible to overdose on D when it's consumed rather than created. To learn more about vitamins and supplements, check out other videos on this site!