Lack of vitamin D - now becoming increasingly topical issue. Lack of this vitamin leads to serious health consequences.
With food we get a small amount of vitamin D, in fact, the sun helps us to synthesize it. Recently, dermatologists warn us from prolonged exposure to the sun, and they are right. But insufficient sunlight can be harmful to health.
What is the role of vitamin D
Vitamin D promotes the absorption of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium at the intestine and reabsorption of calcium and phosphorus on the kidneys. Vitamin D helps calcium to linger in the bones. To be more clear, vitamin D allows our bones to grow and recover, and muscles to function better. It also affects our immune system and kidney function.
The daily dose of vitamin D for children, adolescents, pregnant women and adults over 50 years of age is 400 IU for women during lactation
Breast-feeding: feed - and no nails!
600 IU and 800 IU for older people.
Vitamin D is also known as vitamin D2 or vitamin antirahiticheskim. It contains a small amount of some foods: fish oil, cod liver oil
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, Oily fish, butter, cereals, egg yolks, cocoa, milk and calf liver.
But we need 50-90% of vitamin D we get from the sun. Vitamin formed at the level of the skin under the influence of ultra-violet rays and cholesterol, which is in our body.
In our climate sunlight in winter is very mild. In addition, our way of life plays an important role. Days we work indoors under neon lights and go out in the evening.
Lack of sunlight is not only the Nordic countries. In the southern countries, women often "imprisoned" in their homes. And leaving the house, they put long opaque clothing.
In addition to the lack of sunlight, there are other reasons for the lack of vitamin D, which are usually identified by doctors when detecting diseases such as hyperparathyroidism, Paget's disease, kidney or liver failure.
Dosage
Your doctor may prescribe dosage vitamin D, which will be absorbed by the blood. This procedure is necessary in cases of unexplained fatigue, diffuse pain, muscle weakness, fractures or osteoporosis
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.
Position dosage of vitamin D should be 75 nmol / l (30 ng / ml). A smaller dose may cause a deficit or deficiency of vitamin D. rickets or osteomalacia determined when low rate of 25 nmol / l (10 ng / ml).
Health problems due to lack of vitamin D
When we lack of sunlight, and therefore, the vitamin D - afflicting our bone. The number of fractures, there is a risk of osteoporosis (especially postmenopausal women), osteoarthritis and cardiovascular disease. Deficiency of vitamin D in the body affects the condition of the teeth. In children, this lack may lead to rickets
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. If you are breast-feeding your baby, remember that breast milk contains a small amount of essential vitamins. Cow's milk, composition closest to the maternal and much richer in vitamin D.
In the case of vitamin D deficiency, the doctor may prescribe taking it in different forms: drops, ampoules. It is for you to determine the acceptable dose of the drug, and will monitor the normalization of vitamin D levels on its content in the blood. In the future, need to continue regular intake of vitamins to avoid deficiency in the body.
How long can you stay in the sun?
According to experts, it is enough for 15 minutes a day to fill stores of vitamin D. However, if the sun is weak, or you have a very dark complexion, vitamin supplementation is a must. It all depends on the region in which you live, the time of year, the color and skin pigmentation. If you feel fine and are in the sun enough time, you do not need an extra dose of vitamin D.
Elderly people often suffer from vitamin D deficiency, as very few are in the sun, their skin produces far less essential vitamins. So they prescribed receiving this drug.
As for babies, pediatricians recommend giving them vitamin D drops. Especially if the baby is breastfed. There was a time when ignored vitamin, babies were tidy, well-fed, but their bones were weak, and as soon as the baby starts to walk, their legs became an arc shape. To avoid this, it is important to give children vitamin D intended pediatrician or physician. Do not forget that cow's milk is also rich in this vitamin.