Do you currently take a vitamin D supplement? New research says you should. A study conducted by USANA Health Sciences, in conjunction with Intermountain Healthcare's The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital (TOSH), found that taking a daily vitamin D supplement is the best way to improve vitamin D levels in the body. The study examined levels of vitamin D in 743 male and female adults throughout the United States, between the ages of 20 and 65.
"This study provides novel data indicating that the number of individuals with low vitamin D doubles during winter compared to those during the summer," said TOSH Clinical Researcher Tyler Barker, PhD. "Notably this finding underscores the impact of vitamin D supplementation in order to achieve a good vitamin D level, especially during the winter months."
Research for this study, which is now published online in the European journal of Clinical Nutrition, was funded in part by USANA Health Sciences, Inc. in Salt Lake City, a leading international manufacturer of top-quality nutritional products.
"USANA and TOSH are the ideal partnership for conducting nutritional scientific studies," said USANA Senior Scientist Mark Levy. "We're excited about the outcome of our research, which helps to identify risk factors for vitamin D deficiency—a worldwide health concern. And the fact that vitamin D supplementation is a safe, cost effective and potent way to increase vitamin D levels provides a promising and simple solution to the problem."
In October 2012, USANA and TOSH released their joint research study, which shows a link between vitamin D and inflammation.