Study Says Lower Vitamin D Levels OK

Almost 80 million Americans don’t have low vitamin D levels after all, an expert group says. The new, lower guidelines on vitamin D come from the Institute of Medicine. This is an independent group that provides research-based advice on medical care. Current guidelines don’t agree on what blood level of vitamin D is too low. For example, the Endocrine Society says that people should have at least 30 nanograms of vitamin D per milliliter of blood (ng/ml). Anyone with lower levels may need vitamin D pills, the group says. The new Institute of Medicine guidelines say that 20 ng/ml is enough. An estimated 78.7 million American have levels between 20 and 30. The new study included more than 15,000 adults. Information about them came from a major health survey. This was compared with a national death registry.