Kids Need More Vitamin D

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By Madelyn Jarrett

Story Published: Oct 13, 2008 at 10:01 PM MST

Story Updated: Oct 13, 2008 at 10:01 PM MST

BILLINGS - Are your kids getting enough vitamin D? The answer is, probably not. Especially since the American Academy of Pediatrics just doubled their recommended amount of the nutrient for newborns to teens.

The recommended amount is now about 400 units of vitamin D per day; you would have to drink approximately one liter of milk to get that much of the vitamin. You get the nutrient from some types of oily fish, cereal and milk, but the best source is sunlight.

Laura Bukowski, a registered dietician with Billings Clinic, says to get that amount children need a supplement. "Not only is it important for our bones but it also protects against multiple types of cancer and auto-immune diseases like MS. It's also important to 36 organs in our body."

Bukowski says in northern states from October to March the amount of the nutrient you get from the sun is not measurable, so most need to take a supplement.

The American Academy of Pediatrics is sticking by the recommendation, in spite of some studies that suggest vitamin D supplements could be harmful to your immune system.

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