(ORDO NEWS) — Vitamin D is a group of biologically active substances that are involved in many body functions. Without it, it will be difficult for our body to absorb calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D is involved in strengthening the immune system, regulates carbohydrate-fat metabolism, and also protects against the formation of malignant tumors and improves brain function.
If you avoid direct sunlight in every possible way, suffer from a milk allergy, or are a vegetarian, then it is highly likely that you are a nominee for vitamin D deficiency rights.
Vitamin D, known as the sunshine vitamin, is produced by the body in response to skin exposure to sunlight. There are several foods that provide vitamin D, including certain types of fish, fish oil, and egg yolks, as well as fortified dairy products and grains. We will consider a more detailed list of products below.
Many people know that this miracle vitamin is necessary for children and adults for healthy bone growth. Its deficiency in children can cause rickets, a disease in which bone tissue does not mineralize properly, which causes softening of the bones and deformation of the skeleton. And in adults with vitamin D deficiency, the risk of fractures increases.
Low vitamin D levels lead to:
- Decreased strength of bones, teeth and muscles
Insufficient intake of vitamin D reduces bone density, deteriorates the condition of the teeth, and also increases the likelihood of muscle cramps. - Weakened immunity
Normal levels of vitamin D in the blood play an important role in shaping the immune response. With a deficiency of the vitamin, there is a risk of infection and aggravation of the course of SARS. - Metabolic disorders and excess weight
Not a single obesity and diabetes mellitus can do without vitamin D deficiency. - Deterioration in the quality of sleep
Vitamin D deficiency can disrupt the sleep-wake cycle, increasing the risk of depression. - Disorders in the musculoskeletal system
Due to a lack of vitamin (especially in old age), myopathy or muscle weakness may appear, causing a lack of coordination. - Decline in cognitive functions
Vitamin D deficiency is common in people over 65 years of age. With its deficiency, the risk of developing ischemic stroke and cognitive impairment, including Alzheimer’s disease, increases. Neurological disorders may also include vascular dementia, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, carotid atherosclerosis, and epilepsy. - Causes severe asthma in children
- And that’s not all
Research shows that vitamin D plays a huge role in the treatment and prevention of a number of different conditions, including type 1 and type 2 diabetes, hypertension, glucose intolerance, and multiple sclerosis.
Causes of Vitamin D Deficiency
So what causes vitamin D deficiency? The main reason for the lack of vitamin D is a malfunction in the work of self-synthesis or a violation caused by malnutrition, which greatly affects the content of the nutrient:
- The high content of the vitamin is found in meat, fish dishes, eggs – all this is diligently avoided by vegetarians, automatically falling into the risk group.
- Unbalanced diets lead to vitamin deficiencies.
- Pregnancy and lactation causes a double consumption of calciferol.
- Sunlight is the generator of vitamin D production, and by avoiding it, being in the shade or indoors all the time, you run the risk of earning a vitamin deficiency, and in the city, exposure to ultraviolet radiation is significantly reduced due to increased dust and harmful emissions. Living in countries with low solar activity also causes vitamin deficiency. And in winter, its deficiency is very common, which is logical, due to less sunlight. 5 to 30 minutes of sun exposure at noon, twice a week, is enough to increase and maintain healthy vitamin D levels. That being said, it’s best to refrain from using sunscreen during these sessions, as UV filters such as SPF 15 and above reduce skin’s vitamin D3 production by 99%.
- Dark skin independently protects itself from an excess of calciferol, which is especially pronounced in residents of the southern regions. Some research suggests that older people with darker skin are at high risk for vitamin D deficiency.
- Overweight and lack of exercise. People with a body mass index of 30 and above often have low levels of vitamin D in their blood.
- Diseases of the gallbladder, liver or kidneys.
- Inflammatory processes of the small intestine. Some medical problems, including Crohn’s disease, cystic fibrosis, and celiac disease, can affect your gut’s ability to absorb vitamin D from the food you eat.
- Drug treatment, due to which the acidity of the stomach decreases.
How to find out about vitamin D deficiency?
The most accurate way to measure the amount of vitamin D in the body is with a venous blood test for 25-hydroxyvitamin D. This is the main metabolite of vitamin D present in the blood.
It is synthesized mainly in the liver, has moderate biological activity, is transported in combination with a transport protein, undergoing hydroxylation in the kidneys to form a more active metabolite – 1,25 (OH) D, due to which calcium is absorbed in the intestine and reabsorbed in the kidneys. 25(OH)D levels are considered the best indicator of vitamin D levels in the body.
Values of 30–100 ng/mL are considered normal. Indicators of 20-30 ng / ml already signal a lack of vitamin, and if the blood contains less than 10 ng / ml of the element, then this indicates a pronounced deficiency of vitamin D. Moreover, if the micronutrient level is above 100 ng / ml, hypervitaminosis is diagnosed, which is also not good.
How to deal with vitamin D deficiency?
Treatment of vitamin D deficiency should begin with adjusting your diet to include foods and nutritional supplements rich in vitamin D in your diet.
The Russian Association of Endocrinologists, as was written above, considers the optimal concentration of vitamin D in the blood of an adult to be 30-100 ng / ml, deficiency 20-30 ng / ml. Vitamin D levels less than 20 ng/mL are generally considered critical and require treatment.
If you don’t spend enough time in the sun or always cover your skin thoroughly (remember that sunscreen suppresses vitamin D production), you should talk to your doctor about taking a vitamin D supplement, especially if you have a history of risk factors for vitamin D deficiency.
A prophylactic dose of vitamin D (when you can not determine it in the blood and take it calmly) is 4,000 IU per day. Without medical supervision, it is not recommended to take vitamin D at a dose of 10,000 IU for more than 6 months.
It is almost impossible to overdose on vitamin D. In Holland, there was a case when an elderly couple (90 and 95 years old), due to their age, messed up something and took a single dose of cholecalciferol 2,000,000 IU each. Doctors observed them for 2 months and did not reveal any symptoms of an overdose.
Foods rich in calcium and vitamin D
Our body constantly needs to replenish its reserves of vitamin D and calcium. Are you getting the right amount? The simplest thing is to adjust your diet and add foods enriched with these elements. We all know that dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt contain calcium. Diversify our list and include here:
- Seeds: sesame, poppy, flax, hemp, amaranth, chia, mustard
- Nuts: almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios
- legumes
- Seafood and fish, especially shellfish, oysters, sardines
- Vegetables: turnips, carrots, garlic, all types of cabbage
- Leafy greens
- Aged hard cheeses: goat or sheep are best.
- Spinach
- Plant based milk and orange juice
- Whey protein
- Eggshell
- Now let’s add to everything this products
- Containing vitamin D
- Wild salmon
- Farmed salmon
- Cod liver oil
- Canned tuna
- Canned sardines
- Milk, skimmed and fortified with vitamin D
- Yogurt
- Orange juice fortified with vitamin D1
- Beef liver
- Eggs
- Oat flakes
- Swiss cheese
- Mushrooms
To get vitamin D from food, fish is the ideal option.
A serving of salmon weighing about 100 g contains 526 IU of vitamin D. This is 66% of the daily value. We must also consider where the salmon was grown.
A serving of wild-caught fish contains up to 988 IU of vitamin D. Captive-raised salmon may provide 25% fewer nutrients, but on average, one serving provides 250 IU of the vitamin, or 32% of the daily value. Which is also good.
We love the research of reputable scientists and we hate self-medicating quackery. Our articles are informational in nature – we do not make diagnoses. Be responsible for your own health and if you have any ailments, consult a doctor.
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