One-A-Day Women’s Vitamins is tapping into the emerging vitamin D research field by promoting that its multi-vitamin — with 800 IU of vitamin D — “has enough calcium and vitamin D to promote breast health.”

800 IU is twice the amount in One-a-Day’s regular supplement.

“Bone strength and breast health are not just issues for older women,” the company’s web site says. “You can start to lose bone mass as early as your 30’s and you need to monitor your breast health as early as possible. One-A-Day^® Women’s is a complete multi-vitamin specially formulated for leading health needs for women. It contains twice as much calcium as Centrum^® to promote strong bones and twice as much Vitamin D to support breast health. Emerging research suggests the daily consumption of 1000 IUs of Vitamin D is associated with support of breast health. One-A-Day^® Women’s contains 800 IUs of Vitamin D. to help supplement your daily intake of Vitamin D.”

A full-body suntan, in comparison, makes 10,000-20,000 IU of vitamin D, according to Boston University research through the body’s natural vitamin D production pathway: UVB exposure to the skin. With sun exposure, your body stores what it needs and destroys the extra, which isn’t true of oral vitamin D intake.

“While supplements can be an important part of the vitamin D picture in the future, their message needs to be kept in perspective: This is not the natural and intended way for humans to get vitamin D,” Smart Tan Vice President Joseph Levy said. “Vitamin D is called “The Sunshine Vitamin” for a reason: Sun exposure to the skin is the body’s natural and intended means of vitamin D production, and supplements are an unnatural surrogate at best. We are not opposed to the use of supplements, but it would be unfortunate and inaccurate if the reality about vitamin D and sunshine ever got buried.”

To view more about One-a-day supplements click here.