Why You May Not Be Taking Adequate Vitamin D?

Vitamin D can be classified as both a nutrient and hormone which ascertains its vital role in our body. It is a fat-soluble vitamin that has been known to help the body absorb and retain calcium and phosphorus; both are critical for building bones. Studies show that vitamin D can decrease cancer cell growth, help control infections and reduce inflammation. No wonder vitamin D supplements form an important part of prescriptions from our doctors. Many of the body’s organs and tissues have receptors for vitamin D, which suggest important roles beyond bone health, and still, research is in progress for other various possible functions of vitamin D.

Where do we go wrong? 

Vitamin D production in the skin is the primary source of vitamin D.Our skin produces vitamin D we are exposed to natural sunlight. But many people have insufficient levels because they live in places where sunlight is limited, as in winter, or because they have limited sun exposure due to being inside much of the time, people who cover themselves a lot while going outside. Also, people with darker skin tend to have lower blood levels of vitamin D because melanin pigment in our skin acts as a shade, reducing the production of vitamin D and also reducing the damaging effects of sunlight on the skin, including skin cancer.

Deficiency signs of vitamin D:

The 10 most common symptoms of low vitamin D are:

• Getting sick easily or often.
• Fatigue.
• Chronic pain (often in your bones)
• Depression.
• Gut issues.
• Wounds that don't heal.
• Head sweating.
• Bones that break easily.

Low blood levels of the vitamin have been associated with the following:

    - Increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease

    - Cognitive impairment in older adults

    - Severe asthma in children

    -  Cancer

But can we correct the deficiencies?

The answer is Yes.

Vitamin D is truly an underrated nutrient in our daily lives.

According to Harvard,

RDA: The Recommended Dietary Allowance for adults 19 years and older is 600 IU daily for men and women, and for adults >70 years it is 800 IU daily.

UL: The Tolerable Upper Intake Level is the maximum daily intake unlikely to cause harmful effects on health. The UL for vitamin D for adults and children ages 9+ is 4,000 IU.

Sources of Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin present in the following foods and Sun is also the source of vitamin D, which activates the already present inactivated vitamin D into activated vitamin D in the skin.

• Fatty fish, like tuna, mackerel, and salmon.
• Foods fortified with vitamin D, like some dairy products, orange juice, soy milk, and cereals.
• Beef liver
• Cheese
• Egg yolk

Apart from this, vitamin D has been known to fight against cancer cells also.




So fill up your vitamin D reserves and healthy life is waiting for you!

Yours truly,
Dr.Gursimran





NOTE: This article is not intended to be a piece of medical advice and is solely meant to be treated as an extra source of information for maintaining good health.

Dr. Gursimran

Dr. Gursimran has always been a passionate and ambitious student of medicine, a novelty seeker. He likes adrenaline rush events and always wanted to make difference in the lives of people. So, he chose healthcare as his profession