Don't Overdo The D


For Cleveland Browns fans, the holidays came a little early this year when the team acquired wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. After a win/loss record of 1/31 over two years, the addition of quarterback Baker Mayfield and now Beckham Jr. to the team puts all the other NFL franchises on alert. Their D-fenses may not be able to do their job against this new powerhouse.

You see, it takes just the right amount of D to ward off defeat - from cardio disease, immune system problems, weak bones and cognition lapses. Too little of the sunshine vitamin and you're D-ficient.

But you also can have too much vitamin D - and that can put you off balance. Researchers from Rutgers University have published a study in which they found that women age 50-70 who took up to 2,000 IU daily of vitamin D-3 had improved learning and memory. But those who took a higher dosage (4,000 IU) didn't see greater cognitive improvements and had slower physical reaction times, putting them at risk for falls and injuries. Annually, falls are reported by one-third of all people over the age of 65 - more often women than men - and they lead to prolonged hospital stays and even fatalities.

The conclusion: If you take D supplements, ask your doc for a blood test of your level. You want to get it above 35 mg/dL. Supplements can help ease deficiencies, but we also think it is important to avoid taking too much. Maybe you just need to get out into the delightful sunlight more.

© 2019 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Read more http://cdn.kingfeatures.com/rss/feed/editorial/index.php?content=YouDocTips_20190412