Why Are So Many People Popping Vitamin D?

People are popping Vitamin D because there is a widespread belief that it helps with muscle weakness, fatigue, cancer, and even possibly heart disease. All of this is not clearly substantiated by scientific fact but the general populace at large has become obsessed with their Vitamin D levels and intake nonetheless. For instance, from 2000-2010 there has been an over 83-fold increase in seniors who are on medicare completing blood testing for Vitamin D deficiency levels according to the Center for Disease Control. In reality, instead of a borderline obsession with Vitamin D supplements, the majority of the population could be getting their daily dose of Vitamin D from exposure to sunlight. 600 International Units of sun exposure can do the trick for most people. This absolutely frenzy and borderline stampede for Vitamin D started not just in health food stores but in a select number of scientific medical journals that gave inconclusive evidence as to whether or not Vitamin D supplements were necessary to live healthier and more productive lives. The vitamin D bandwagon was truly pushed forward by a team of Mayo clinic doctors who were concerned with growing levels of osteoporosis in seniors. However, they had no idea the ramifications of their journal would start such a trend. In reality the majority of the population does not need any Vitamin D supplements, just good old fashioned exposure to the sun.