Vitamin D benefits:
- Boost the immune system
- Boosts bone health and muscle strength: it maintains the balance of calcium in our blood. It helps our body to absorb and retain the calcium and phosphorus
- Support muscle function
- Keep heart healthy
- Lower risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Reduce risk of multiple sclerosis and depression
- help control infections and reduce inflammation
- Help to regulate blood sugar levels: Vitamin D helps with the absorption of calcium, and calcium helps manage sugar in the blood. But more research is needed.
Vitamin D deficiency:
- Cause bone loss
- Low bone density
- Increase your chances of breaking bones
- Cause rickets in children
- Cause osteomalacia in adults
- Develop multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Link to the development of depression
- Increase your risk of becoming obese later in life
- Associate with a greater risk for stroke and heart disease
Where to find vitamin D?
- Sunlight (D3 is obtained from sun exposure, specifically Ultraviolet B/UVB rays)
- Vitamin D supplements
- Foods (D2 is obtained from foods)
- Fatty fish such as salmon or mackerel
- Cod liver oil
- Swordfish
- Tuna fish
- Rainbow trout
- Beef liver
- Egg yolks
- mushrooms
- Fortified cereals
- Infant formulas
- Fortified Milk and dairy
- Fortified Orange juice with vitamin D
- Fortified Breads
- Fortified Yogurt
According to the U.S. recommended daily allowance (USRDA), the right amount of vitamin D is 600 IU (international units) per day for 1-70 years of age. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends nursing infants under 1 years should receive 400 IU of vitamin D supplementation per day. For the adults 71 and older require 800 IU. Consulting with your doctor or child’s pediatrician about vitamin D supplementation and the amount is always the better step for your family.
Too much vitamin D in excess of 4,000 IU can also cause side effects such as anorexia, excessive urine output, heart arrhythmias, dehydration, constipation, muscle weakness, vomiting, nausea, dizziness, and high blood pressure. In a long-term vitamin D toxicity, it could damage heart, blood vessels and kidney. Excess vitamin D is usually caused by taking too much vitamin D supplements, but not from sun exposure – our body regulates the amount it produces.
Vitamin D supplements can interact with several types of medications, such as steroids, weight loss drugs, the cholesterol-lowering drug cholestyramine, and others. Make sure to consult with your doctor.
One risk factor for lower levels of vitamin D is age. As we age, our skin become thinner and cannot produce as much vitamin D as it used to. Low levels of vitamin D have been associated with cognitive decline and could be the important factor for developing dementia. Three groups of people who are the most at risk for vitamin D deficiency. First group is the people whose age are 65 and older, they are likely to decreases making vitamin D and become at risk of vitamin D deficiency. The second group is the people who have the dark colored skin tones. It is more difficult for them to make vitamin D from sunlight than the light skin tone people. The last group of people are whom are not able to expose themselves in the sun light as their resources of vitamin D. Therefore, to prevent ourselves from vitamin D deficiency is to have vitamin D in our diet, to take vitamin D supplements, and expose in sun more frequently. Consult with your doctor for more information of intaking vitamin D according to individuals’ need.
Reference:
- MedicineNet.com (MedicineNet: Vitamin D Deficiency – how much vitamin D is enough?)
- Harvard T.H. Chan: Vitamin D https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-d/
- Cleveland Clinic: Vitamin D Deficiency https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15050-vitamin-d-vitamin-d-deficiency
- WebMD: Vitamin D https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-929/vitamin-d
