Even though I live in the Valley of the Sun, aka, Phoenix, I don’t feel like I get enough sunshine to make my own vitamin D. So, every morning, along with my yogurt and multi, I pop a 1,000 IU-vitamin D pill. I do this in hopes of gaining the bone, immune, mood-boosting and other health benefits reported in many studies.

However, in a New York Times blog, Tara Parker-Pope questions the science behind the health benefits of vitamin D. She wrote the numerous studies on the sunshine vitamin have come from observational research and not from randomized clinical trials. Observational studies may show correlations between vitamin D and health benefits, but that doesn’t necessarily mean vitamin D causes any health benefits. People who have higher vitamin D levels may just be healthier in general, she wrote.

She noted an ongoing vitamin D study that will last for another five years is randomized and includes 20,000 older adults. The study will examine whether high doses of vitamin D and omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFA) from fish-oil supplements will lower risk for heart disease and cancer.

She also wrote experts believe the current daily recommendation of vitamin D at 400 IU/d is too low and the Institutes of Medicine (IOM) is expected to increase the recommendation this year.

In addition, she discussed other studies of vitamin D and explains possible limitations, which make it difficult to conclude vitamin D’s health benefits.

Maybe it is too early to claim vitamin D as the miracle supplement I think it is, but so far, studies haven’t shown it harms either. This is the case with multivitamins as well. I figure, if I can afford it, health benefits are possible, and it most likely won’t harm, I will continue my morning vitamin D ritual.