Recently the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) came out with its updated recommendation for vitamin D dosages for all Americans. The last time they had released Vitamin D recommendations had been 1997.

They increased the basic recommendation for all adults from 400 IU to 600 IU per day. Also, very importantly, they increased what they consider to be the maximum safe dose from 2000 IU to 4000 IU per day.

Many of us involved in vitamin D work were very disappointed in this tiny increase in recommendations. We were hoping that they would recommend a minimum of at least 1000 IU per day.

There's been much discussion on the Internet about the basis for the recommendations from the IOM. None of the people on the committee were well-known vitamin D researchers or considered experts in the field of vitamin D.

 In addition, they had 15 vitamin D experts review their report before they released it. However, the members of the committee have refused to let anybody look at the vitamin D experts’ opinions about the report. It is thought that many of the world’s leading experts would have expressed disagreement with the report. One organization has petitioned to get these opinions through the Freedom of Information Act.

The Institute of Medicine in their report, which is linked here, only looked at vitamin D and bone health. In my opinion, and the opinion of many vitamin D experts, they made the wrong conclusion that a blood level of 20 ng/mL was sufficient to maintain bone health.
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