Contents
D helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. These nutrients are needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy. A lack of vitamin D can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children, and bone pain caused by a condition called osteomalacia in adults.
Government advice is that everyone should consider taking a daily vitamin D supplement during the autumn and winter.
Benefits
Here’s our process. A human body produces vitamin D as a response to sun exposure.
A person can also boost their vitamin D intake through certain foods or supplements. It may also protect against a range of diseases and conditions, such as type 1 diabetes. Vitamins are nutrients that the body cannot create, and so a person must consume them in the diet.
However, the body can produce vitamin D. In this article, we look at the benefits of vitamin D, what happens to the body when people do not get enough, and how to boost vitamin D intake.
Deficiency
Causes Skin type: Darker skin, for example, and sunscreen, reduce the body’s ability to absorb the ultraviolet radiation B (UVB) rays from the sun. Covering the skin with clothing can inhibit vitamin D production also.
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. 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.
Dosage People can measure vitamin D intake in micrograms (mcg) or international units (IU). One microgram of vitamin D is equal to 40 IU. 600 IU (15 mcg).
Adults up to 70 years: 600 IU (15 mcg). 600 IU (15 mcg).
How Vitamin D Works
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin.
There are five forms of the vitamin – D 1 , D 2 , D 3 , D 4 and D 5 . Sunlight is the the body’s main source of vitamin D. There is no set amount of time a person should spend in the sunlight to get a good amount of this vitamin. However, the Vitamin D Council state that “you don’t need to tan or burn your skin to get vitamin D.” The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) states that short bursts of sun exposure during summer months should be enough.
The energy from the sun changes a chemical in the skin to vitamin D 3 , which is then carried to the liver and the kidneys where it is made into active vitamin D. Some foods, such as oily fish, eggs and fortified fat spreads, also contain the vitamin, although these are in very small amounts. Once consumed, it is sent to the liver and processed in the same way. The main function of vitamin D is to increase the intestinal absorption of calcium – a process that is crucial for good bone health.