The effect of vitamin D and its importance in public health

Effect ofVitaminD and its importance in public health

Vitamin D is a key nutrient for health. It helps maintain bone strength, and helps enhance muscle and immune functions, but many people around the world do not get enough of it naturally. Which makes vitamin D the best-selling nutritional supplement on the market.

But, what if we knew that all our bodies really need to produce vitamin D is sunlight? However, estimates indicate that about 25% of Americans and about 40% of Europeans suffer from vitamin D deficiency, a problem that is also widespread, even in always sunny areas Such as: the Middle East, Asia, and Australia.

How does vitamin D affect health?

Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium from food, which maintains bone strength and helps prevent osteoporosis. Vitamin D also protects us from more serious conditions, such as osteomalacia, and protects children from rickets. It is a disease that causes weak bones and bowed legs.

Vitamin D also plays important roles in muscle movement, communication between nerves, and strengthening immune defenses against bacteria and viruses. Dozens of studies have found that treating people with vitamin D is linked to a reduced risk of some types of cancer, type 2 diabetes, cognitive disorders, and cardiovascular diseases, in addition to other chronic diseases, autoimmune diseases, and infectious diseases.

Who is at risk of vitamin D deficiency?

Anyone can suffer from vitamin D deficiency, but there are certain factors that can increase the risks. As one ages, it becomes more difficult for the skin to produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, with its production decreasing by about 13% for each decade of age.

Skin color also affects the efficiency of vitamin D production, as we find people with dark skin that has the largest amount of melanin pigment; They produce less vitamin D. Some estimates indicate that dark skin is 90% less efficient in producing vitamin D, compared to light skin. Obesity is also considered an important factor. The more it increases, the more the body needs vitamin D.

Other people at risk of vitamin D deficiency include: pregnant women, infants, and people who live in northern latitudes, which get less sun. It is worth noting that the body converts vitamin D into its active form, through a two-step process, which begins in the liver and ends in the kidneys. Therefore, anyone who suffers from advanced diseases in either of these two organs faces major risks due to vitamin D deficiency).

How do we get vitamin D from the sun?

Two types of ultraviolet rays reach the Earth’s surface and penetrate our skin: UVA rays, which are mostly responsible for skin tanning and skin aging. and shorter wavelength ultraviolet (UVB) rays, which are linked to sunburn and vitamin D production, both of which can cause skin cancer.

For people with fair skin, exposure to sunlight for 10 to 20 minutes three times a week is sufficient to provide adequate levels of vitamin D, while people with dark skin need three to five times longer exposure to obtain the same amount. But these general recommendations depend largely on the season, time of day, and location.

However, it must be noted here that relying on the sun to obtain vitamin D is uncertain, as many people do not get enough healthy exposure to the sun, and skin cancer awareness has strengthened the reluctance of many people to be exposed to the sun.

Is food enough to get vitamin D?

The best natural sources of vitamin D are fatty fish, such as: salmon, tuna, and mackerel. Smaller quantities are also found in egg yolks, cheese, and beef liver. As for vegetables and fruits, they – unfortunately – have become less useful in providing vitamin D, compared to before.

Given that most people do not eat enough foods that contain vitamin D, we find that some products have vitamin D added to them, such as: milk, orange juice, and yogurt, in addition to plant-based alternatives, such as: soy, almond, and oat milk.

But, all of the above is not enough. We find – for example – that milk fortified with vitamin D contains 3 micrograms per cup, which means that an adult needs to drink 5 cups of this milk daily; To provide his body’s needs for vitamin D, the minimum amount of vitamin D that an adult under seventy years old must obtain is; 15 micrograms daily.

How do we get enough vitamin D?

Despite everything we mentioned in the previous lines, we can still obtain vitamin D easier than we imagine. It is a matter of finding a balance between exposure to sunlight in a reasonable manner that ensures obtaining benefit and avoiding harm, as well as following a diet rich in vitamin D, and perhaps supporting all of this with some nutritional supplements according to the nature of each of us’s bodies.

But, just as obtaining sufficient amounts of vitamin D has good effects, taking excessive nutritional supplements to obtain more of it has severe negative effects. Too much vitamin D can cause nausea, muscle weakness, vomiting, and dehydration. In severe cases, it can cause kidney stones, kidney failure, irregular heartbeat, and even death.