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Vitamin D – Why Is It Important For All Age Groups
This article explains about the benefits of vitamin D and how it's deficiency can affect one.
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble and it is called as sunshine Vitamin. Vitamin D is important for good health, growth and strong bones. A main action of vitamin D is to help calcium and phosphorus in our diet to be absorbed from the gut.
Vitamin D is mostly made in the skin by exposure to sunlight. A lack of vitamin D is very common. It is important at every stage of life.
Some people are more at a risk of developing vitamin D deficiency and these include all pregnant and breast-feeding women, all babies and young children aged 6 months to 5 years, people aged 65 and over, and people who are not exposed to much sun.
There is also some evidence that vitamin D may also help to prevent other diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
Best Sources Of Vitamin D:
We get vitamin D in three ways: through the skin, from the diet and from supplements.
Sunlight:
A main source of vitamin D is made by our own bodies. It is made in the skin by the action of sunlight. In humans, the primary source of vitamin D is UVB-induced conversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol to vitamin D in the skin.
Vitamin D Food Sources like Oily Fish & Egg Yolks:
Foods that contain vitamin D include: Oily fish (such as sardines, pilchards, herring, trout, tuna, salmon and mackerel) and even egg yolks.
Fortified Foods:
Fortified foods (this means they have vitamin D added to them) such as margarine, some cereals, infant formula milk and fat spreads.
Vitamin D Supplements:
Another source of vitamin D is dietary supplements ie liquid form, powder form, tablet form or injection form that are available over the counter.
Health Benefits Of Vitamin D:
Good For Bone Health:
Vitamin
D
is
known
to
help
the
body
absorb
calcium,
and
it
plays
a
role
in
bone
health.
Good
For
Heart
-
Vitamin
D
influences
the
bones,
intestines,
immune
and
cardiovascular
systems,
pancreas,
muscles,
brain,
and
the
control
of
cell
cycles.
Good For Building Up Immunity Level:
Supplemental vitamin D is associated with a wide range of benefits, including increased cognition, immune health, bone health and well-being.
Anti-inflammatory Properties:
Vitamin D decreases cell proliferation and increases cell differentiation and has significant anti-inflammatory effects.
Lowers Breast Cancer Risk:
There is an evidence linking higher vitamin D intake to a lower risk for breast cancer.
Vitamin D Deficiency - Symptoms:
- Fatigue and weakness.
- Aching bones.
- Weak muscles.
- Difficulty in thinking.
- Bone fractures frequently and bone deformities.
Vitamin D Deficiency - Health Risks:
Impaired Immune System:
Impaired
immune
system
functioning,
which
will
be
a
higher
risk
for
infection.
Rickets
-
Rickets,
a
condition
that
most
commonly
occurs
in
children
that
causes
bone
softening
and
osteomalacia
in
adults.
Insulin Resistance:
Insulin resistance, which affects ability to use insulin to process blood sugar.
Increased Risk For Osteoporosis:
Thin or brittle bones, which increases risk for osteoporosis.
Risk For Autoimmune Diseases:
Vitamin D deficiency can contribute to autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and autoimmune thyroid disease.
Vitamin D Deficiency - Causes:
Several factors are contributed to the rising incidence of vitamin D deficiency. These include:
- Applying sunscreen blocks the sun's ability to stimulate vitamin D production.
- Not spending enough time outside.
- Having darkly pigmented skin, which won't absorb the sun's rays as well.
- Exclusively breast-feeding babies for prolonged time periods.
- Being obese, which typically raises your vitamin D requirements.
Vitamin D Deficiency Treatments & Tests:
Vitamin D deficiency can diagnose by performing a simple blood test. Levels of vitamin D are expressed in nanomoles/liter (nmol/L) or nanograms/milliliter (ng/mL).
Deficiency:
less
than
30
nmol/L
or
12
ng/mL.
Potential
deficiency:
between
30
nmol/L
or
12
ng/mL
-
50
nmol/L
or
20
ng/mL.
Normal
levels:
between
50
nmol/L
or
20
ng/mL
-
125
nmol/L
or
50
ng/mL.
High
levels:
higher
than
125
nmol/L
or
50
ng/mL.
If Vitamin D levels are low and having symptoms of bone pain, a doctor may recommend a special scan to check for bone density to evaluate a person's bone health.
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