- With Mayo Clinic nutritionists
Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
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Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
Katherine Zeratsky and Jennifer Nelson
Jennifer K. Nelson, M.S., R.D., L.D., C.N.S.D.
Jennifer Nelson is your link to a better diet. As specialty editor of the Food & Nutrition Center, she plays a vital role in bringing you healthy recipes and meal planning."Nutrition is one way people have direct control over the quality of their lives," she says. "I hope to translate the science of nutrition into ways that people can select and prepare great-tasting foods that help maintain health and treat disease."
A St. Paul, Minn., native, she is certified by the National Board of Nutrition Support Certification, has been with Mayo Clinic since 1978, and is director of clinical dietetics and an associate professor of nutrition at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
She leads clinical nutrition efforts for a staff of more than 50 clinical dietitians and nine dietetic technicians and oversees staffing, strategic and financial planning, and quality improvement. Nelson was co-editor of the James Beard Foundation Award-winning "The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook." She has been a contributing author to and reviewer of many Mayo Clinic books, including "Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight for EveryBody," "The Mayo Clinic Family Health Book" and "The Mayo Clinic/Williams Sonoma Cookbook." She contributes to the strategic direction of the Food & Nutrition Center, which includes creating recipes and menus, reviewing nutrition content of various articles, and answering nutrition questions posed to Ask a Specialist.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the Food & Nutrition Center, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.A Marinette, Wis., native, she is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in pediatrics at Mayo Clinic Rochester and nutrition education related to the physiology and recommended intakes for premature infants.
Other areas of interest include breast milk and formula safety, neonatal feeding, and nutrition for breast-feeding mothers.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
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Nutrition-wise blog
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Jan. 8, 2009
Shedding light on vitamin D
By Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
It's winter in the Northern hemisphere and for many that means sunshine is in short supply. As a result, your vitamin D levels may be on the decline. Should you be worried? How much vitamin D do you really need? What's the best way to get it? Several studies published in the December 2008 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition attempt to shed light on these questions.
One of the studies found that vitamin D levels appear lower among Americans today than 15 to 20 years ago. Researchers attributed the decline to the following factors: increasing weight, declining milk consumption, and increasing use of sun protection.
On a brighter note, another study demonstrated that fortifying foods, such as milk, with vitamin D does improve vitamin D status in adults.
A third study looked at vitamin D levels in the winter months. The study showed that people who get less sun in the summer need slightly higher vitamin D supplementation in the winter to maintain recommended levels. Interestingly, the top dose in the study was 600 international units, which is higher than the 400 international units of vitamin D generally found in multivitamins.
So what does this all mean? The data we have seems to tell us that:
- Although 10-15 minutes of daily sun in non-peak hours can provide adequate vitamin D, people who use sun protection (which should be most of us) need to look for other sources of vitamin D.
- Fatty fish, egg yolks, and fortified foods are good dietary sources of vitamin D. And toxicity from fortified foods is rare.
- Vitamin D supplements at currently recommended doses can increase vitamin D levels in the body.
Some questions still remain. What happens if you take more vitamin D than the current recommendation? Is there an upper limit beyond which you are harmed rather than helped?
What are your thoughts? For those of you who don't take a multivitamin or vitamin D supplement, will these studies change your mind? For those of you who take a supplement, how much are you taking? What changes have you noticed as a result?
To your health,
Katherine
44 comments posted
- Looker AC, et al. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status of the US population: 1988-1994 compared with 2000-2004. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Dec;88(6):1519.
- O'Donnell S, et al. Efficacy of food fortification on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations: systematic review. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Dec;88(6):1528.
- Cashman KD, et al. Estimation of the dietary requirement for vitamin D in healthy adults. Am J Clin Nutr 2008 Dec;88(6):1535.
44 comments posted