Did you know that most vitamin D is supplied by the sun? In fact, the main problem for people with vitamin D deficiency today is working indoors and being deprived of sunlight. According to Deutsche Welle, many people believe that a healthy diet can provide the vitamin D needed by the body. But this is a false notion.
Foods that contain enough vitamin D are very rare. In other words, only by eating fatty foods every day can you get the minimum amount of vitamin D you need. Otherwise, it is not possible to get this essential vitamin through nutrition.
Need, more than the amount received
Unfortunately, it is not clear whether this amount is sufficient to meet our daily needs. Many scientists believe that our need for vitamin D is much higher than previously thought, and that a deficiency in this vitamin is the cause of many diseases.
Since 2012, a minimum daily dose of 20 micrograms of vitamin D has been set for adults. If this amount of vitamin is to be supplied only through nutrition, 200 grams of sardines, two kilograms of cheese and 700 grams of eggs or 500 grams of beef should be consumed daily.
Scientists recommend higher levels of vitamin D for people with certain diseases. For example, people with MS should take 180 micrograms daily and 240 micrograms to prevent cancer. It is clear that to receive 240 micrograms of vitamin D per day can not be satisfied with nutrition alone.
Sunlight is the best source of vitamin D.
Sunlight is one of the main sources of vitamin D. Exposure to direct sunlight for 15 to 120 minutes a day (depending on skin color, latitude, area exposed to light, and intensity of sunlight) can provide the body with 500 micrograms of vitamin D or more.
Vitamin D deficiency and risk of disease
In the past decades, doctors thought that vitamin D was only needed to strengthen bones and teeth . But research has shown that this vitamin has a variety of roles in human health, and a deficiency in it can significantly increase the risk of disease.
Unfortunately, in today’s society, indoor entertainment, leisure activities, and outdoor activities all contribute to vitamin D deficiency, and only a few people are aware of the importance and role of this vitamin.
Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency
Colds and Respiratory Diseases: According to a study published in the Cambridge Journals, vitamin D deficiency in children causes respiratory illnesses, and adequate vitamin D storage reduces the incidence of respiratory illnesses in children.
Muscle weakness: According to Dr. Michael F. Holik, a researcher in diseases associated with vitamin D deficiency, good muscle function is possible when vitamin D receptors release enough of this vitamin into the body.
Psoriasis: Studies have shown that vitamin D can be effective in treating psoriasis. Because this vitamin prevents overgrowth and proliferation of cells in the body, and due to the fact that skin cells proliferate abnormally in this disease, vitamin D deficiency also aggravates the symptoms of the disease.
Chronic Kidney Failure: According to Dr. Michael F. Holik, patients with chronic kidney failure are also unable to actively produce vitamin D in the body, especially if they are on dialysis. These people should take vitamin D3 to fuel the calcium and metabolism in the body to reduce the risk of osteodystrophic disease (a metabolic disorder that leads to bone disease caused by kidney failure) and regulate parathyroid hormone secretion.
Vitamin D helps absorb calcium and parathyroid hormone helps keep blood levels constant. When the amount of vitamin D in the body decreases, parathyroid hormone takes the calcium needed from the blood from the bones. If this condition persists for a long time, the person will develop osteoporosis.
Diabetes: Research has shown that maintaining the amount of vitamin D needed from birth reduces the risk of developing diabetes by up to 80%.
Asthma: Vitamin D also reduces the risk of developing asthma. The results of Japanese scientists’ research on students show that the use of vitamin D supplements has a significant role in reducing the incidence of asthma.
Periodontitis: Chronic gum disease (pyorrhea) associated with swelling and bleeding can be controlled with vitamin D. Vitamin D stimulates the production of defensin and catalystidine in the body. These two antimicrobial peptides are located on the mucous membrane and resist bacteria and prevent periodontitis.
Cardiovascular Disease: Heart disease and high blood pressure are also linked to vitamin D deficiency. Studies have shown that reducing the amount of this vitamin is an effective factor in increasing blood pressure.
Schizophrenia and depression: Because the proper functioning of the brain depends on a sufficient amount of vitamin D in the body, its deficiency increases the risk of schizophrenia and depression. Adequate storage of vitamin D during pregnancy as well as in the baby is essential for stimulating the receptors for this vitamin in the brain and its growth.
Cancer: Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington have found a link between adequate vitamin D intake and a reduced risk of leukemia. They found that using the same vitamins in the sun could help reduce cancer growth by up to 75 percent and reduce the risk of cancerous tumors by up to 50 percent.
Prevention is better than treatment
Get enough sunbathing . People with fair skin need to be exposed to the sun for a few minutes during the summer and during intense sun exposure to get the vitamin D they need. Excessive sun exposure is useless because the body absorbs only the amount of vitamin D it needs from the sun. In cloudy weather we have to spend more time outdoors. In these cases, the risk of skin cancer is greatly reduced or eliminated altogether.
Vitamin D3 supplements should be used if access to the sun and outdoors is not possible. In European countries, where the sun’s rays are reduced in winter, the body inevitably uses its vitamin D stores, so it is necessary to use these supplements.