Ask Dr. Marie

The evidence keeps stacking up in favor of Vitamin D – and since most of us during the winter months aren’t getting enough vitamin D – we could all benefit from a review of our daily supplements and increase our doses to up to 1000 IU per day. I mentioned the value of vitamin D supplements to my dad this week (I gave my dad and mom an early stocking stuffer, a bottle of 1000 IU vitamin D tablets) and he reminded me that he should be getting plenty from the sun. I quickly chimed in that during the winter the sun’s rays are not strong enough in Northern States such as Pennsylvania to produce enough vitamin D via the skin and furthermore as we age our skin produces less and less anyway (not to mention the fact that we should all be vigilant about sunscreens too – which protect from damaging rays while also blocking the UV production of vitamin D…so never an easy choice).

A new study published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that fitness level, not body fat, was a stronger predictor of longevity for adults ages 60 and over. Even overweight seniors who walked for as little as 30 minutes a day most days of the week had improved survival over the seniors who were normal weight but sedentary. Incredibly, in most instances, death rates for those with higher fitness were less than half of rates for those who were unfit.