Do you need a vitamin D supplement?

Are you at risk for Vitamin D deficiency?

People who are at risk for a vitamin D deficiency may need to take vitamin D supplements. The people most at risk are:
Infants who are breastfed. Breast milk doesn't contain enough vitamin D to meet a baby's needs and most babies have limited exposure to the sun to get their source there.
People who don't often get outside are probably not making sufficient vitamin D. Sunscreen may also affect how much vitamin D you are absorbing. The sun is a great source of vitamin D if you can get outside enough.
Vegetarians and vegans or those who don't eat fish, eggs, or milk may have a harder time getting vitamin D. So few foods have vitamin D so limiting your intake of these types of food will limit vitamin D absorbtion.
People who are lactose intolerant or have a milk allergy. Milk is fortified with enough vitamin D to be a good source of it.
People over age 50 need extra vitamin D because, for one thing, our skin becomes less able to make vitamin D as we age.
Individuals who have liver disease or whose bodies don't absorb fat properly.

One study found that those who took vitamin D supplements for six years significantly reduced their risk of death from any cause.