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Normal serum vitamin D level is the range between 30-100 ng/mL, but this value can vary among laboratories. Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency have been defined as a 25 (OH)D < 20 ng/mL and 21-29 ng/ mL, respectively.
Some groups of the population are at greater risk of low serum vitamin D deficiency which may need daily vitamin D supplementation. They are the following:
Infants and young children aged six months to five years old
Pregnant and breastfeeding women
Postmenopausal women
Elderly people aged > 65
People who have limited sun exposure - for example, those who always cover their skin, or are not exposed to much sun or stay indoors for long periods or regularly apply sunscreens
People with darker skin
Low vitamin D can cause rickets (thin, brittle, or deformed bones) in children and osteomalacia (softening bones) in adults. Adequate vitamin D and calcium intake help protect older adults from osteoporosis. Vitamin D obtained from sunlight or food never causes vitamin D toxicity (high blood calcium). On the contrary, too much vitamin D supplementation can cause toxicity.