Ms. Blanche has been advised to increase her vitamin D intake to 1 000 international units (IU). How should she best achieve this?

Ms. Blanche has been advised to increase her vitamin D intake to 1 000 international units (IU). How should she best achieve this?

• A. Increase the amount of time she spends in the sunshine to at least one hour each day.
• B. Increase her intake of milk.
• C. Take a vitamin D supplement.
• D. Eat a fortified ready-to-eat cereal each morning.

Answer: (C)

Reaching a specific daily intake of 1000 IU is most reliably done with a vitamin D supplement. Sun exposure can help, but the amount you produce depends on many factors—latitude, season, time of day, skin type, clothing, and sunscreen—and one hour of sun isn’t a guaranteed, consistent dose, plus excessive sun exposure carries cancer risk. Dietary sources, even fortified ones like milk or cereals, typically supply far less than 1000 IU per serving, so you’d have to consume many servings to hit the target, which isn’t practical. A supplement provides a precise, predictable amount and makes it easy to meet the exact 1000 IU goal each day.

Reaching a specific daily intake of 1000 IU is most reliably done with a vitamin D supplement. Sun exposure can help, but the amount you produce depends on many factors—latitude, season, time of day, skin type, clothing, and sunscreen—and one hour of sun isn’t a guaranteed, consistent dose, plus excessive sun exposure carries cancer risk. Dietary sources, even fortified ones like milk or cereals, typically supply far less than 1000 IU per serving, so you’d have to consume many servings to hit the target, which isn’t practical. A supplement provides a precise, predictable amount and makes it easy to meet the exact 1000 IU goal each day.