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Reactions to the recent Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendation to increase the dietary intake level for vitamin D to 600 IU (15 µg) per day for infants, children, and adults have been swift and often critical. Although the new level is 50% higher than that recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (JW Pediatr Adolesc Med Oct 29 2008), it is lower than the Canadian Paediatric Society's recommendation of 800 IU/day. Is 600 IU/day enough?
Vitamin D status depends on the interplay of several factors, including latitude and sun angle; skin melanin content; dietary intake; and hepatic, gastrointestinal, or renal disorders that influence vitamin absorption and metabolism (N Engl J Med 2007; 357:266). The IOM report correctly points out …