It seems like every person is always looking for new ways to achieve better health. Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins we can get, yet most of us are deficient in it.
Vitamin D is a type of vitamin that is essential for the normal functioning of the body and its organs. Its name comes from the Latin word “vit-um” which means “a vital substance.” Vitamin D is involved in the absorption of calcium, which our bodies need to build and maintain bones. It is also important in the regulation of cell growth and differentiation, which is particularly important during bone development. Vitamin D is made by our skin when exposed to sunlight and is also found in some foods.
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that’s found in foods that come from the sun, such as milk and tuna, as well as fortified foods and supplements. The main source of vitamin D is exposure to sunlight, but you can also get it from supplements and foods that contain vitamin D. Foods that contain vitamin D include fatty fish, egg yolks, liver, fortified milk and soy milk.
These days, vitamin D seems to be the Paris Hilton of the dietary industry. It’s always in the news, and you’re not sure why. So, rather than wondering, I decided to look into the avalanche of vitamin D studies and news.
What is the significance of vitamin D?
A vitamin D receptor may be found in almost every tissue and cell in our body. Calcium from meals cannot be absorbed unless the body has an adequate quantity of activated vitamin D. Calcium is required for the transmission of impulses between brain cells, as well as bone and tooth growth. Let’s face it, no one wants to have rickets.
Low levels of vitamin D in the body have also been related to:
- With aging, there is a gradual decrease of muscular strength and mass.
- Cancer risk is higher.
- Immune deficiency
- Blood pressure that is too high
- The emergence of neurological diseases
- The onset of diabetes
So, we increase our sun exposure or take supplements. Not so fast, my friend.
Despite the significance of vitamin D, an estimated 30-80% of the population in the United States is vitamin D deficient. The situation is likely to be worse for dark-skinned individuals residing in northern regions, since their skin color filters out more of the little sunshine.
Spend more time at the beach if you have dark skin. Request a letter from your doctor. It’s a medical need.
Vitamin D levels are also influenced by age and body fat percentage. The capacity to produce vitamin D diminishes by 75% as people become older. Furthermore, vitamin D may be stored in fat, lowering blood levels by 55% in obese individuals.
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Vitamin D: What You Should Know
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient that comes in a variety of forms. Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is found in animals, whereas vitamin D2 is found in plants (ergocalciferol). Vitamins D2 and D3 are not physiologically active; to have an impact, they must be changed in the body.
The active form of vitamin D is 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] or calcitriol, which is a hormone. (If you’re on a date, feel free to use it as a conversation starter.) On a large scale, vitamin D2 and D3 have been manufactured, and both seem to be helpful in sustaining vitamin D levels in the blood.
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Vitamin D is not a true vitamin since it is obtained without the need of food. Our bodies can produce vitamin D and even break down excess quantities when exposed to natural sunshine. What is causing this?
Step 1: Cholesterol is converted to 7-dehydrocholesterol, a precursor of vitamin D3.
Step 2: In the skin, 7-dehydrocholesterol is converted to vitamin D3 when we are exposed to UV light.
Step 3: To become active, vitamin D3 must be hydroxylated in the liver and kidneys. It may develop its endocrine role at this time.
Metabolism of vitamin D
Do you believe you get vitamin D through your workplace or vehicle windows? Wrong. The glass filters nearly all UV radiation, preventing vitamin D synthesis.
In addition, the sun protection is comparable. The quantity of vitamin D generated by the body is reduced by 99 percent when you use an SPF 15 sunscreen. Basal cell cancer prevention, yay! However, it is detrimental to vitamin D production.
In serum, activated vitamin D has a half-life of 2-3 weeks, and skin synthesis is restricted to 10,000-20,000 IU each day. A 20-minute bike ride in the summer sun delivers 100 times the amount of vitamin D recommended by the government. All excess is inactivated when the serum level exceeds 150 nmol/l. Mother Nature is to be praised.
Depending on where you live, the amount of vitamin D produced by sunshine varies throughout the year. Between November and March, you won’t receive any vitamin D from the sun if you reside north of Atlanta, Georgia. You’ve come to the correct spot if you live beneath Atlanta, Georgia. Vitamin D reserves may be built up over time, but they only last a few weeks.
Get your hands on one of these bad boys: a portable vitamin D meter!
electricity supply
Vitamin D deficiency is very common in the diet. It may be found in tiny quantities in fish, cod liver oil, mushrooms, liver, and eggs (except cod liver oil).
In comparison to wild fish, farmed fish have relatively little vitamin D. Vitamin D is only obtained through fortified foods such as milk and cereals; it does not exist naturally.
A tiny quantity, approximately 25 IU per liter, is found in breast milk.
As a result, getting enough vitamin D from whole foods is almost difficult; it is really a sunlight vitamin.
A regular consumption of 100-1000 IU vitamin D leads in a 15-40 nmol/l rise in the blood in adults, according to studies. According to other supplement research, every 100 IU of vitamin D we consume raises blood levels by 2.5 nmol/l.
What is the ideal blood count?
It’s fun to speak about vitamin D, but the concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in the blood is what counts. It shows how much vitamin D is generated in our bodies as a result of sun exposure, food, and supplementation. 15 days is the half-life. Because 1,25(OH)2D has a short half-life of about 15 hours and blood levels are heavily influenced by hormones and minerals, it is not a reliable indication of vitamin D sufficiency. Only with severe vitamin D insufficiency does the level of 1,25(OH)2D begin to fall.
Serum 25(OH)D concentrations that are most beneficial begin at 60 nmol/l, with ideal levels falling between 75 and 100 nmol/l. With a vitamin D consumption of 200-600 IU, most individuals do not achieve these levels.
What is the best way to eat?
For the vast majority of people, a daily dose of 1000 IU or more may be required. A 25(OH)D concentration of less than 30-80 nmol/l is linked to negative health consequences in postmenopausal women and older men.
According to studies, 200 IU of vitamin D2 per day may not be enough to avoid vitamin D insufficiency in babies living in northern latitudes. In adults, increasing vitamin D3 consumption by 100 IU per day was linked with a 1-2 nmol/L rise in circulating 25(OH)D concentration, according to a meta-analysis. In a recent research of women throughout Maine, 800 IU of vitamin D per day was shown to be sufficient for achieving and maintaining appropriate blood levels in the winter (for most women).
25(OH)D levels provide health advantages.
What amounts of vitamin D consumption are linked to negative consequences?
Vitamin D supplementation has been shown to have no negative side effects in the majority of trials. In one research, women between the ages of 50 and 79 who took 400 IU of vitamin D3 per day had a higher incidence of kidney stones (along with 1000 mg of calcium).
Management Notes from Merck:
Taking very high vitamin D dosages on a regular basis, for example. B. Consumption of 50 times or more the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for many months may result in toxicity and elevated blood calcium levels (hypercalcemia).
Loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting are the initial signs, followed by excessive thirst, weakness, anxiety, and high blood pressure. Calcium deposits throughout the body, particularly in the kidneys, blood vessels, lungs, and heart, due to its high calcium concentration. Kidney failure may occur when the kidneys are irreversibly damaged and fail.
According to some research, consuming up to 10,000 IU per day has no negative consequences. You are at danger of vitamin D poisoning if you take more than 10,000 IU of oral vitamin D per day for more than 6 months. Remember that vitamin D intoxication is not caused by too much sun exposure.
Conclusions and suggestions
Vitamin D insufficiency is a condition that is often overlooked. We must expose ourselves to the sun and, if required, take supplements. And the evidence suggests that an optimum, rather than just typical, level has been achieved.
The 25(OH)D level in the blood is classified as follows:
- Vitamin D toxicity: >/= 375 nmol/l (150 ng/ml)
- 75-100 nmol/l (30-40 ng/ml) is the preferred range.
- 50-75 nmol/l (20-30 ng/ml) is a sufficient range.
- Mild deficiency: 25-50 nmol/l (10-20 ng/ml); mild deficiency: 25-50 nmol/l (10-20 ng/ml); mild deficiency: 25-50
- 12,5-25 nmol/l (5-10 ng/ml) is a moderate deficit.
- Severe deterioration: <12.5 nmol/l (<5 ng/ml)
To maintain the 25(OH)D level at or above 100 nmol/l, the overall vitamin D need (sunlight, food, and supplementation) is about 4000 IU per day. To narrow the deficit, more may be required. To normalize their supply, adults need 3000-5000 IU per day for 6-12 weeks. You should contact your doctor before beginning to use supplements since there is a danger of poisoning.
The amount of vitamin D you get depends a lot on your latitude and longitude.
Vitamin D
Los Angeles/Dallas/Atlanta/Cairo are located to the south of Los Angeles/Dallas/Atlanta/Cairo.
- In the middle of the day, 15-30 minutes of sunshine (15 minutes for fair-skinned people, 30 minutes for dark-skinned people).
- OR 1,000-2,000 IU of vitamin D supplementation each day.
In the vicinity of Portland, Chicago, Boston, Rome, and Pequin
The months of February through November
- At midday, 15 to 30 minutes of sunshine are required (15 minutes for fair-skinned people, 30 for dark-skinned people).
- OR 1,000-2,000 IU of vitamin D supplementation each day.
The months of December and January
- Vitamin D supplementation of 1,000-2,000 IU per day
In the vicinity of Edmonton, London, Berlin, and Moscow
The months of March through October
- At midday, 15 to 30 minutes of sunshine are required (15 minutes for fair-skinned people, 30 for dark-skinned people).
- OR 1,000-2,000 IU of vitamin D supplementation each day.
Between November and February,
- Vitamin D supplementation of 1,000-2,000 IU per day
north of Edmonton/London/Berlin/Moscow/Berlin/Moscow/Berlin/Moscow/B
The months of April through September
- At midday, 15 to 30 minutes of sunshine are required (15 minutes for fair-skinned people, 30 for dark-skinned people).
- OR 1,000-2,000 IU of vitamin D supplementation each day.
Between November and February,
- Vitamin D supplementation of 1,000-2,000 IU per day
The degree of obesity, physical activity, vitamin D and calcium levels at baseline, usage of oral contraceptives, and ethnicity should all be considered while using vitamin D supplements. All of these variables may have an impact on the demand.
supplementary appropriation
Because less UV light reaches humans in the winter, less cholesterol is utilized in the body’s vitamin D production. One reason why blood cholesterol levels may be higher in the winter is because of this.
The greatest indication of vitamin D status is serum 25(OH)D.
Vitamin D deficiency may be exacerbated by taking multivitamins. You may attain hazardous amounts of other vitamins/minerals if you receive enough vitamin D.
In 1970, 25(OH)D was discovered.
Why are vitamin testing conducted by IOM-sponsored DRI committees? Funding. Keep in mind that financing choices must be kept distinct from the scientific process’s fundamental autonomy.
There is evidence that vitamin D insufficiency is linked to Crohn’s disease.
Psoriasis may be relieved by vitamin D.
Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to immunosuppression in certain studies.
Isolated and widespread muscle and bone pain is a typical indication of vitamin D insufficiency.
Vitamin D activity in the body may be reduced by medications. Anticonvulsants, bile acid sequestrants, GERD medicines, corticosteroids, and heparin are a few examples. There’s also a chance that calcium channel blockers and diuretics may interact negatively, lowering blood calcium levels.
To generate adequate vitamin D, individuals with darker skin tones require 5 to 10 times more sun exposure than those with lighter skin pigmentation.
Vitamin D may help prevent cancer, according to a new research. According to the researchers, raising minimum serum 25(OH)D levels to 40-60 ng/mL (100-150 nmol/L) for a year would prevent an estimated 58,000 new cases of breast cancer and 49,000 new cases of colorectal cancer per year in the United States and Canada, as well as three-quarters of deaths from these diseases….. The death rate of patients with breast, colon, or prostate cancer would be cut in half as a result of this intake. Taking 2000 IU of vitamin D3 every day or having a serum 25(OH)D level of 40-60 ng/ml has no unacceptable hazards.
References
To view the sources of information used in this article, go here.
Dietary recommendations for vitamin D intake: Reasons for updating the 1997 levels, Yetley EA, et al. 719-727 in Am J Clin Nutr, 2009.
HA Bischoff-Ferrari and colleagues The optimum blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations for several health markers were assessed. 84:18-28 in Am J Clin Nutr, 2006.
Survival of the sickest, by S. Moalem. 2007. William Morrow Publishers is a publishing house based in New York City.
In the Third National Health and Nutrition Survey, Ginde A.A., et al. found a link between blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and upper respiratory tract infections. 169:384-390 in Arch Intern Med, 2009.
JF Aloia, et al. Vitamin D consumption is necessary to attain the appropriate 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration in the blood. 87:1952-1958 in Am J Clin Nutr, 2008.
Vitamin D: An Overview. Stroud ML, et al. Australian Family Physician 2008;37:1002-1005.
Michael Holick sits down with a vitamin D pioneer for an interview. Alternative Therapies, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 64-75, 2008.
R. Vieth et al. There is an immediate need for vitamin D consumption guidelines. 649-650 in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2007.
G. Schwalfenberg, G. Schwalfenberg, G. Schwalfenberg, G. Schwalfenberg, G. Schwalfenberg, G. Schwalfenberg, G. Schwalfenberg, G. Schwal Canadian Family Physician, vol. 53, no. 8, pp. 841-854, 2007.
Vieth R & Fraser D. Vitamin D deficiency: There is no recommended daily allowance for this nutrient. CMAJ 2002;166:1541-1542.
J. Higdon, J. Higdon, J. Higdon, J. Higdon, J. Higdon, J. Higdon, J Linus Pauling Institute, Linus Pauling Institute, Linus Pauling Institute, Linus Pauling Institute New York: Thieme.
Vitamin D level and muscular function in teenage females following menarche, Ward KA, et al. 559-563 in J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2009.
RP Heaney, et al. Human serum response to 25-hydroxycholecalciferol after long-term cholecalciferol treatment. 77:204-210 in Am J Clin Nutr, 2003.
The National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements publishes a bulletin on nutritional supplements called Vitamin D. On the 3rd of October, 2009, I submitted a proposal.
Effect of vitamins on the immune system: Vitamins A and D are critical. Mora JR, et al. Nature Reviews Immunology, vol. 8, no. 8, pp. 685-698, 2008.
The National Academy of Sciences is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of Beyond the realm of possibility. The mystery of vitamin D is being unraveled. On 3/11/09, I was able to get a hold of some information.
Vitamin D and diabetes, Penckofer S, et al. Allow the sun to shine in. The Diabetes Educator, vol. 34, no. 9, pp. 939-954, 2008.
ML Nelson et al. In the winter, a 20-gram dose of cholecalciferol improved the blood concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in 80 percent of premenopausal women. 139:540-546 in J Nutr.
CF Garland, ED Gorham, SB Mohr, Garland FC. A worldwide view on vitamin D and cancer prevention 2009 Jul;19(7):468-83 in Ann Epidemiol.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does vitamin D do?
Vitamin D is a hormone that helps your body absorb calcium and phosphorus. It also helps regulate the immune system, mood, and bone growth.
How can I boost my vitamin D?
The best way to increase your vitamin D levels is through exposure to sunlight. However, if you cant get outside, there are a few other ways to boost your vitamin D levels. You can take supplements or eat foods that contain vitamin D.
What vitamin D should I take?
The recommended daily intake of vitamin D is 600 IU.
