Vitamin D (Vitamin D) is a fat-soluble vitamin found in dietary supplements and some foods.... It is also made in the skin with the help of sunlight.... That is why it is also called the "sunshine vitamin".... Today's article at GCORP LLCne is dedicated to vitamin D and its role in maintaining health yes.... stay with us until the end of this article to learn about this important nutrient.

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The amount of vitamin D needed by the body

The amount of vitamin D needed by the body depends on age:

Vitamin D sources

Vitamin D needed by the body comes from three sources:

1.... food

In response to the question of what vitamin D is found in, a limited number of foods naturally contain vitamin D....oily fish (such as salmon and sardines) are one of the best sources....beef liver and egg yolks also contain small amounts of vitamin D.

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This vitamin is added to some foods such as milk substitute products (such as soy milk), breakfast cereals and orange juice.. In the diet, fortified foods have the highest amount of vitamin D.

If necessary, you can consult an internist online and you can also visit an internist in person.

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The following table shows some sources of vitamin D:

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2.... sunlight

If you are exposed to sunlight for 5 to 30 minutes at least twice a week on sunny days, between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm, you can get the vitamin you need. However, the elderly or those with dark skin do not benefit much from sunlight and are better off relying on food and supplements.

The cloudiness of the air and the use of sunscreen (which is important to prevent skin cancer and skin aging) can disrupt the production of vitamin D in the body.

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3.... food supplements

If you can't get the vitamin D you need from sunlight and diet, you should look to supplements.... There are 2 types of vitamin D supplements: ergocalciferol (vitamin D2), which comes from plants, and cholecalciferol (vitamin D3), which is found in animals.... You need a prescription to get D2.

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Properties of vitamin D

Research on the properties of vitamin D has shown that this nutrient plays an important role in:

• Keeping bones healthy: At all stages of life, from childhood to old age, vitamin D is essential for strong bones... because it helps absorb calcium in the gut.
• Prevention of MS: MS is more common in areas that are far from the equator and receive less sunlight.
• Decreasing the risk of diabetes: In some studies, it has been observed that there is a link between vitamin D deficiency and type 2 diabetes.. But there is not enough evidence about the effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation to prevent type 2 diabetes.
• Weight loss: Obese people have lower levels of vitamin D in their blood than others, but it is not clear whether this is due to vitamin D deficiency or something else. However, one study of obese people with vitamin D deficiency found that adding vitamin D to a low-calorie diet can facilitate weight loss.
• Decreasing symptoms of depression: Vitamin D plays a role in improving brain function and according to research, it can reduce symptoms of mild depression....
• Decreasing the risk of colon cancer: Vitamin D can possibly reduce the risk of colon, breast and prostate cancer... but more research is needed to draw definitive conclusions...

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• Preventing dementia: Research has shown that elderly people with vitamin D deficiency perform poorly in tests of memory, attention and reasoning compared to others.... In future studies, the effect of vitamin D supplementation in preventing dementia or slowing its progression should be investigated.
• Reduce the risk of heart disease: Low levels of vitamin D are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure, heart failure, and stroke...
• Reduces the risk of developing severe diseases: Although the results of different studies are conflicting, vitamin D seems to reduce the risk of developing severe flu and Covid-19.
• Immune system health support: People who do not have enough vitamin D may be at risk of developing a variety of infections and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (rheumatism), type 1 diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

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Vitamin D deficiency

In general, there are 2 main reasons for vitamin D deficiency:

• Inadequate vitamin intake from diet or sunlight
• Inability of the body to absorb vitamin D

Severe vitamin D deficiency in children causes rickets. The symptoms of this disease include muscle weakness, bone pain, and deformation of bones and joints.. In adults, deficiency symptoms include:

• fatigue
• Severe pain or weakness in bones or muscles
• osteoporosis
Brittle bones, especially in the elderly

Regarding the role of vitamin D in the body, its long-term deficiency causes the following complications:

• cardiovascular problems
• Autoimmunity problems
• Neurological diseases
• infection
• Pregnancy complications
• Certain cancers including breast, prostate and colon cancer

Read more: 6 complications of excessive consumption of vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency risk factors

Anyone, including infants, children, and adults, can develop vitamin D deficiency, but the following people are more at risk than others:

• Babies: All children should receive 400 international units of vitamin D daily from the third to fifth birthday until the end of two years of age.
• Elderly:In the elderly (especially those over 65), the skin's ability to produce vitamin D decreases....On the other hand, these people are likely to spend more time of the day in a closed environment.
• People who are less exposed to sunlight: People who are rarely outdoors due to disability, job or other reasons do not get enough vitamin D from sunlight.
• People with dark skin: The more pigmented the skin, the less able it is to make vitamin D through sunlight.
• Persons with diseases that cause malabsorption: Since vitamin D is fat-soluble, it is absorbed in the intestine with the help of fat from food.. Therefore, those who have little ability to absorb fat in their body are likely to have vitamin D deficiency... Medical causes of fat malabsorption include: liver disease, cystic fibrosis, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis.
• Obese people or those who have undergone gastric bypass surgery: If your body mass index (BMI) is greater than 30, you may be suffering from vitamin D deficiency.... Because vitamin D is stuck in body fat and does not enter the blood stream... In gastric bypass surgery where a part of the small intestine is removed, the risk of vitamin D deficiency increases
.

Other factors related to vitamin D deficiency are:

• Living in areas where pollution is high
• Living in big cities where buildings block the sunlight
• Using certain medications, including laxatives, steroids (such as prednisone), cholesterol-lowering drugs (such as cholestyramine), and orlistat (a weight-loss drug)

Read more: What are the essential vitamins to strengthen the digestive system?

How to recognize vitamin D deficiency

There is a simple blood test to measure the level of vitamin D in the body called the 25-hydroxyvitamin D test....The normal level of vitamin D can vary from lab to lab, but usually if it is less than 50 nmol/L (20 ng/ml), vitamin D is considered low.

Eating vitamin D-rich foods and increasing exposure to sunlight can partially correct vitamin D deficiency, but in most cases, supplementation is necessary.

You can consult a general practitioner online for further guidance.

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Vitamin D poisoning

Consumption of foods rich in vitamin D and exposure to sunlight is unlikely to cause poisoning.. Vitamin D poisoning is often caused by taking too many dietary supplements... The table below shows the maximum amount of the vitamin you can take to prevent poisoning:

Vitamin D poisoning can have non-specific symptoms, such as: loss of appetite, headache, nausea, vomiting, increased urine volume, dehydration, increased thirst and abdominal pain.. In addition, it may increase blood calcium, which causes the accumulation of calcium deposits in blood vessels and tissues, blood vessels, and as a result, the kidneys..

Final word about vitamin D

Vitamin D has many health benefits, such as reducing the risk of certain diseases, helping to improve mood and effective in weight control.... Most people have a hard time getting the vitamin D they need through their diet....therefore, many people need supplements....Since taking too much of a supplement is dangerous, before taking it, you should have a blood test to prove you are deficient in vitamin D.

For advice on blood tests and the need to take vitamin D supplements, see a general practitioner.... On the GCORP LLC site, you can get to know the best specialists and make an appointment for a face-to-face visit or online consultation with them.

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