This article is a complete guide to Vitamin D. Calcium and Vitamin D are important for making the bones and muscles stronger. protecting teeth, improving immunity, weight management, fighting depression, and many more. It is also known as the Sun shine Vitamin.
A complete guide to Vitamin D
Human body needs calcium and Vitamins to perform its day to day activities. Vitamin D is produce when the skin comes in contact with the Sun, and hence it is called Sunshine Vitamin. A complete guide to Vitamin D is explained in detail below.
What is Vitamin D?
Vitamins are essential for proper growth of entire body and proper functioning of various body parts. Each vitamin has a different role to play in the body. Vitamin D is a type of fat soluble vitamin which is found in very less food. It is also known as the sunshine vitamin. When the body is exposed to sun light, especially the morning ones, and when the ultra violet rays of the sun touches the skin, it triggers the synthesis of Vitamin D in the body. Vitamin helps in calcium absorption in the gut. Vitamin D helps in making the bones stronger. It is always better to include food items which are rich sources of calcium and Vitamin D in your daily food intake.
Sources of Vitamin D
- Sunlight
- Cheese, milk and yogurt
- Egg yolks
- Orange juice
- Soya milk
- Almond milk
- mushrooms
- Legumes like peas, beans, etc
- Ready to eat cereals
- Fatty fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel, etc.
- Fish liver oil
- Vitamin D supplements
Vitamin D deficiency
Deficiency of Vitamin D increases the risk of rickets in children and osteoporosis in adults and can also leads to softening of the bones and also cause bone abnormality. It makes the bones thin, fragile and brittle are they are prone to break easily. Vitamin D deficiency can cause due to inadequate dietary intake, less or no exposure to sunlight, inadequate absorption of vitamin d from the digestive tracks, the vitamin D food intake is lesser than recommended values and when the diary product intake is too less.
Vitamin D deficiency symptoms
Few of the major Vitamin D deficiency symptoms include diseases like
- Rickets
- Osteoporosis
- Weak immune system
- Cancer
- Dementia
- Autoimmune disease
- Skin diseases like psoriasis and eczema
- Seasonal depression
- Severe asthma problem in kids
Some of the common Vitamin D deficiency symptoms include
- Falling sick quite often and easily prone to infection
- Delay in healing of the wounds after any infection, injury and surgery
- Low bone mineral density
- Feeling tired too easily and fatigue
- Excessive muscles pain even in doing routine task
- Too much hair loss
- Lower back pain and bone pain
- Depression
Health benefits of Vitamin D
- Improves bones and muscles health
- Fights against cancer, especially breast cancer and colon cancer
- Builds a stronger nervous system
- Aids in weight management
Daily requirement of Vitamin D
As per Institute of food and sciences recommendation, the daily take measured in International Units (IU) should be as follows:
| Age | Recommended IU per day |
| Infant up to 1 year | 400 |
| Age 1 to 70 years | 600 |
| Age above 70 years | 800 |
| Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers | 600 |
Include fruits and vegetable like Avocado, papaya, melons, bell peppers, peaches, apricots, mangoes, squash, broccoli, sweet potatoes, carrots, oranges, tofu,
So this is all about Vitamin D. Don’t forget to get out and enjoy the morning sun light for the daily dose of vitamin D. Bask in the ultra violet rays of the might sun. Take enough food supplements.
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