Benefits
De products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Vitamin D is essential for several reasons, including maintaining healthy bones and teeth.
Vitamins are nutrients that the body cannot create, and so a person must consume them in the diet.
Deficiency
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.
The recommended daily intakes of vitamin D are as follows: Infants 0–12 months: 400 IU (10 mcg). 400 IU (10 mcg). 600 IU (15 mcg).
Adults up to 70 years: 600 IU (15 mcg). 600 IU (15 mcg). 800 IU (20 mcg).
Sensible sun exposure on bare skin for 5–10 minutes, 2–3 times per week, allows most people to produce sufficient vitamin D. However, vitamin D breaks down quite quickly, meaning that stores can run low, especially in winter.
D-Fense For Your Health
Ontinue to be the darlings of many supplement lovers.
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. (7)
Meanwhile, osteomalacia refers to softening of the bones due to vitamin D deficiency.
Its signs include dull, aching pain in the legs, hips, pelvis, ribs, and back, though the condition often doesn’t present symptoms in its early stages, the Mayo Clinic notes. (8)
Osteoporosis is one of the main causes of fractures and broken bones in the elderly. 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.
Later symptoms may include a stooped posture, declining height, back pain, and an unexpected and immediate bone fracture. 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. One thing to note: The researchers did exclude the treatment of rickets and osteomalacia from their conclusions about the benefits of supplementation.