But beginning in 2000, research into vitamin D's role in other health conditions began to expand rapidly. Vitamin D, nicknamed the sunshine vitamin because your body produces it after sun exposure, has long been known to help build strong bones by increasing the body's absorption of calcium and phosphorous. And during the same time period there was nearly an 18% increase in the number of people taking 1,000 IU or more of vitamin D daily, which is also beyond the dose of 600 to 800 IU recommended for most people. Researchers looking at national survey data gathered between 19 found a 2.8% uptick in the number of people taking potentially unsafe amounts of vitamin D - that is, more than 4,000 international units (IU) per day, according to a research letter published in the June 20 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Some people are overdoing it with supplements. Unfortunately, this vitamin D trend isn't all blue skies. 'This is really surprising for a test that is recommended for only a small subset of the population.' Manson, the Michael and Lee Bell Professor of Women's Health at Harvard Medical School.

'Vitamin D testing is one of the top Medicare lab tests performed in the United States in recent years,' says Dr. Vitamin D supplements and screening tests have surged in popularity. In recent years, research has associated low blood levels of the vitamin with higher risks of everything from heart disease, diabetes, and cancer to mood disorders and dementia. Some people are overdoing it in search of better health.

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