Contents
D helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. Information: There have been some reports about vitamin D reducing the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Benefits
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A person can also boost their vitamin D intake through certain foods or supplements. Vitamin D is essential for several reasons, including maintaining healthy bones and teeth. Despite its name, vitamin D is not a vitamin, but a prohormone, or precursor of a hormone.
Deficiency
Geographical location: People who live in northern latitudes or areas of high pollution, work night shifts, or are homebound should aim to consume vitamin D from food sources whenever possible. Breastfeeding: Infants who exclusively breastfeed need a vitamin D supplement, especially if they have dark skin or have minimal sun exposure. Symptoms Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency may include: regular sickness or infection
fatigue
bone and back pain
low mood
impaired wound healing
hair loss
muscle pain If Vitamin D deficiency continues for long periods, it may result in complications , such as: cardiovascular conditions
autoimmune problems
neurological diseases
infections
pregnancy complications
certain cancers, especially breast, prostate, and colon.
Sources of vitamin D Getting sufficient sunlight is the best way to help the body produce enough vitamin D. Plentiful food sources of vitamin D include: fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, and tuna
egg yolks
cheese
beef liver
mushrooms
fortified milk
fortified cereals and juices Here, learn how to get more vitamin D from the sun. 600 IU (15 mcg). Adults up to 70 years: 600 IU (15 mcg).
600 IU (15 mcg).
How Is Vitamin D Different From Other Nutrients?
It’s clear that vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium. Without enough vitamin D in the body, there will not be enough of calcium’s active form, the hormone calcitriol, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
(5) Calcium absorption allows the body to maintain a sufficient level of that element as well as phosphate, both of which promote the growth and maintenance of healthy, strong bones. (1)
That’s why getting enough vitamin D is critical for warding off bone diseases, such as rickets in children, osteomalacia in adults, and osteoporosis in the elderly. (6) According to the Mayo Clinic, signs and symptoms of rickets include pain in the spine, pelvis, and legs, as well as delayed growth and muscle weakness.
(7)
Meanwhile, osteomalacia refers to softening of the bones due to vitamin D deficiency. The Mayo Clinic says this bone disease results when the cycle of new bone creation and old bone loss becomes unbalanced and more bone is lost than created. Women who are past menopause are at the highest risk of osteoporosis, and as with osteomalacia, people with osteoporosis are often asymptomatic when the disease is in its early stages.
Yet observational research has prompted a reexamination of that wisdom. Vitamin D supplements don’t prevent fractures or falls, or have any clinically meaningful effect on bone mineral density, according to large review of more than 81 clinical trials published in October 2018 in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.