About a billion people around the world do not get enough Vitamin D.
This is strange since the main source of vitamin D is sunlight. In this blog post I will be talking about health benefits of vitamin D ,Deficiency symptoms and remedy tips
Vitamin D, is a unique fat-soluble vitamin .
However, it is a prohormone that can be produced by the body through sun exposure. Vitamin D plays a great role in calcium absorption in the body.
Calcium maintains bone health .
It particularly prevents health conditions as rickets and osteomalacia, conditions that cause bones to be thin and brittle:
Vitamin D however is an essential nutrient that the body does not make on its own.Then comes the next question:
WHERE DOES VITAMIN D COME FROM
The very first nature’s gift to perfect health is” OUR FREEST VITAMIN SUPPLY”,SUNLIGHT.
Life cannot exist without sunlight. Plants will not grow and flowers will not bloom.
In order for Man to function well , he needs abundant sunshine.
A miracle factory is at work just beneath your skin.
Sunshine strikes oil glands just beneath the skin. Substances within them(ergosterols) irradiate and transform into vitamin D.
Vitamin D is unique in that it is the only vitamin that humans produce intrinsically after exposure to ultraviolet -B light from the sun..
The health benefits of this vitamin is numerous but first let’s discuss its adsorption
VITAMIN D ABSORPTION
Talking about Vitamin D absorption is a little technical.
It involves a lot of heavy scientific names.
Unfortunately we cant talk about Vitamin D without understanding how it actually finds its way into our system.
Don’t worry.
I will not blame you if you skip this section.
But I think it is good to have a general idea of how you actually get your Vitamin D.
When Ultraviolet light from the sun hits your skin, it stimulates a molecule in your skin called 7-dehydrocholesterol.
This is transformed to the popular D3.(cholecalciferol)
You’ve got a molecule called cholecalciferol, which doesn’t do anything yet.
This is taken to the liver where it is metabolized into a more useful form called 25-hydroxyvitaminD3,.
The kidney converts it into a hormone called calcitriol which is the active form of Vitamin D
Some studies show that the vascular wall within blood vessels can do these conversions too.
But at a much smaller level.
Now that wasn’t so bad.
All you have to know is that vitamin D functions in the body as a hormone called calcitriol
Another thing to remember is that According to Healthline.com “Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin, meaning that it does not dissolve in water.
The bloodstream absorbs the vitamin best when paired with high-fat foods.
For this reason, therefore, remember to take vitamin D supplements with a meal to enhance absorption.
DO I NEED VITAMIN D?
Do we really need Vitamin D today.? Listing the health benefits of Vitamin D is a good answer to that question.
The sunlight’s vitamin D total health -effects are not yet known .
But it is clear that the vitamin is a “blockbuster “nutrient capable of many things
- Strengthens the immune system. Exposure to sunlight increases the number of the immune system’s white blood cells in the body . Moreover sunlight increases the number of lymphocytes, which are the most powerful germ killers of white blood cells. This is one of the best reasons to take Vitamin D today. Considering the health situation of our world today.
- Strengthens and steadies the heart
- Elevates the mood.
- Improves mental function. One study revealed that after exposing participants to 20minutes of bright white light in the morning ,they become more alert.
- The brain images showed that regions of the brain involved with alertness and some cognitive processes become more active.
MORE HEALTH BENEFITS OF VITAMIN D
- Increases muscle tone which in turn burns up more calories.
- Aids in calcium assimilation and strengthens bones and teeth. Dentists have observed that people living in cloudy areas where there is not much sun have the worst dental decay. Those who live in the tropics where the sun beats down on them, have good teeth.
- .Increases the volume of oxygen in the blood.by increasing the capacity of the blood to carry more oxygen to the body tissues. Bronchial asthmatics, who can hardly breathe are able to inhale freely after a sunbath.
SOURCES OF VITAMIN D
We now have a good idea of the benefits of vitamin D. How can we get adequate vitamin D to enjoy the benefits. There are different sources of Vitamin D. which include
- VitaminD tablets
- Capsules
- food containing the vitamin
- Vitamin D fruits and vegetables
- vitaminD orange juice
- Vitamin D injection
The best recommended form of Vitamin D is the D3 or cholecalciferol.
This is because this is the natural form of vitamin D the body derives from sunlight.
I take vitamin D that I buy from two different companies .
The first is A Vitamin D capsule containing 1000 IU vitamin D and Zinc. That I get from a drug store
And the second is chelated calcium and magnesium with 500IU Vitamin D3
This is one of Neolifes natural supplements
If you are not comfortable with taking supplements ,you can try taking fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin D.
Also stick to eating food rich in vitamin D.
VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS
A lot of studies has shown a relationship between vitamin D deficiency and several unhealthy body symptoms .
In this blog post however I will be talking about three vitamin D deficiency symptoms.
- Vitamin D and hair loss
- depression
- weight loss
VITAMIN D AND HAIR LOSS
A lot of research has shown that low levels of vitamin D can cause hair loss.
Certain studies has linked alopecia to vitamin D deficiency.
Alopecia is an autoimmune sickness that causes bald patches in the scalp and other parts of the body.
This is probably because Vitamin D has been shown to play a role in hair follicle stimulation.
The hair follicle is a tunnel shaped structure on the skin surface. Hair grows inside this hair follicle. And vitamin D plays a role in this process.
VITAMIN D AND DEPRESSION
A 2005 research showed a distribution of vitamin D3 in the human brain.
In another research study in 2013,A connection was established between vitamin D deficiency and depression.
According to the study, low vitamin D levels were seen in the participants that were depressed. This conclusion is because of the role of vitamin D receptors in brain.
One of the benefits of vitamin D is to improve mood and mental alertness. This can also explain why low levels can cause depression.
VITAMIN D AND WEIGHT LOSS
There has been evidence in research to show that increasing vitamin D concentrations in blood reduces body fat.
According to vitagene.com “a study in Nutrition Journal found that overweight and obese women who took 1,000 IU of Vitamin D every day for 12 weeks, lost a measurable amount of fat mass independent of other bodily changes.
He also mentioned that” a study in the Journal of Women’s Health found that older women with higher vitamin-D levels experienced less weight gain over the course of five years.”
This relationship between vitamin D and weight loss is probably due to its ability to reduce the formation of fat cells within the body.
So if you are having weight issues maybe you should see your Doctor.
Perhaps a vitamin D prescription could help.
HOW CAN I KNOW THE VITAMIN D LEVEL IN MY BLOOD
You can measure your vitamin d levels using your blood samples. The form of vitamin D measured is known as 25 hydroxyvitamin d.
The vitamin d test results are normally in nanomoles per liter(nmol/L) or nanograms per liter(ng/L)You can measure your Vitamin D levels in medical laboratories.
The normal range is between 30 -125nmol/L. It is rare to find people with high vitamin D levels .A lot of people on the other hand have low levels.
HOW MUCH VITAMIN D LEVELS DO I NEED DAILY
The amount of vitamin d we need in a day is actually age dependent.
find below the average daily range
A recent research however has shown that this levels are too low.
It was discovered that consuming 1000IU per day increases the blood vitamin levels of 50% of individuals to 82.4nmol/L.
while taking 2000IU PER day, can help nearly everyone.to reach such adequate vitamin D blood levels.
Based on current research, taking 1000 to 4000IU of vitamin D daily is enough for most body requirements.
I personally take 1500IU OF VITAMIN D everyday.
VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY REMEDY TIPS
People can get at least some of their daily vitamin D from exposure to sunlight.
However ,as the weather varies depending on location and time of year, not everyone can get all the vitamin D they need from sunlight.
According to a study in Switzerland in 2019, it was found that about 15mins of sun per day provides 1,000 IU of vitamin D in summer.
However, getting this amount in winter is unrealistic.
This suggests that we that live in colder climates, may only get the required vitamin D levels from supplements.
I live in Germany .Because of the cold weather situation here, I take Vitamin D supplements everyday all year round. please talk to your doctor before taking vitamin D, as it can interact with some medications.
TIPS ON FOOD THAT INCREASE YOUR VITAMIN D
According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, food sources of vitamin D include: oily fish, such as mackerel, tuna. Liver from beef, chicken breast, mushrooms, expecially does exposed to ultravoilet light .
Other sources include cheese ,egg yoke, oat milk, soya milk, breakfast cereals. some brands of orange juice, yogurt and margarine.
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES THAT INCREASE YOUR VITAMIN D
Find below, fruits that can improve your vitamin D levels. I normally make smoothies with these fruits and take them one hour before food .
IN CONCLUTION
That’s my take on the health benefits of vitamin D. And vitamin D deficiency tips. Do you know of any tips I have not covered, feel free to comment below.
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