What is vitamin D and why is it so necessary

What happens if vitamin D is not enough

It all depends on the age at which the vitamin deficiency appears. Children under the age of five are usually prescribed vitamin D to help them develop their skeleton. For this, vitamin supplements are prescribed for pregnant and lactating mothers.

This element is needed not only for babies. Schoolchildren and adults are also deficient in vitamin D. This makes bones fragile. This happens especially often in the elderly. But often breaking bones are an extreme case.

In order not to lead to this, it is necessary to notice in time the "red flags" - signals that the body gives if it is low in vitamin D:

constant feeling of tiredness;
bad mood, to the point that depressive episodes develop;
frequent colds;
falling hair;
wounds and scratches on the skin heal slowly;
joints, back and muscles hurt.

There are risk groups that include people who are more likely to have vitamin D deficiency:

Breastfed babies. Infant formula is usually fortified with vitamin D, but breast milk may not have enough.
Aged people. As we age, the skin stops producing vitamin D at the desired intensity.
People with dark and swarthy skin.
People with chronic diseases or gastrointestinal problems.
People who take medications: antifungal, anticonvulsant, hormonal, HIV drugs.

In addition, everyone who lives in cold climates and rarely goes out into the open air (or goes out for a walk in clothes covering the body) receives less vitamin D. In this case, the deficiency is made up with the help of food additives.

How to tell if vitamin D is to blame

I would like to write off my ailments and diseases for a lack of vitamin, but you cannot diagnose yourself on your own. It is better to contact a specialist and talk about your complaints and concerns. Then - take a blood test, which will show whether there really is a lack of vitamin D or whether you need to look for the cause of the ailments in something else.

A blood test shows the level of 25 (OH) D in the blood. This abbreviation hides calcidiol, the main form of vitamin D in the blood. Adequate level is more than 30 ng / ml (75 nmol / L).

How much vitamin D should you get?

The amount of vitamin D you need to consume every day depends on your age. The table shows data on the daily requirement for this vitamin, established for children and adults.

Where to find vitamin D

It is one of the few vitamins that our body can produce on its own. You've probably heard that the synthesis of vitamin D in the body occurs in the sun, so you need to be outside more often. To provide yourself with a vitamin, you need to go out into the sun for short periods without sunscreen with bare shoulders, arms and legs. This method works from April to October, if you walk from 11 to 15 hours. And, of course, you cannot bring to burns.

Unfortunately, there are not many sunny days in Russia for us to rely entirely on radiation alone. A tanning bed is not the best way, because with intense radiation, the risk of skin cancer increases.

We also consume vitamin D with food. There are not very many products containing the vitamin. These are mainly fatty fish, oil, mushrooms.

But from October to the end of March, when there is not enough sun in our latitudes, even a balanced diet cannot make up for the lack of a vitamin. Therefore, in the fall, winter and spring, it is useful to take dietary supplements daily, for example.

IN NUTRILITE^TM Vitamin D are two forms of vitamin: D2 and D3. We can get D2 only with food or supplements, and we produce the D3 form ourselves when exposed to sunlight or we also get it with food. Their combination supports the longer lasting effect of one of the most important vitamins in the body.

Vitamin D2 is obtained from yeast that has been exposed to ultraviolet light. Yeast is grown on sustainable farms with a minimum of energy consumption, and the waste is used for other industries. In addition, yeast is rich in trace elements: zinc, selenium, manganese.

Can an overdose occur?

Yes, this is possible, for example, with a dose of over 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day. How to take vitamin D, what dosage is shown for you - it is better to check with a specialist. One NUTRILITE tablet^TM Vitamin D contains 15 mcg of the vitamin, or 600 international units. This is a safe dose. So if you take the supplement according to the instructions, that is, one tablet every day, there will be no overdose.

What to do if I think I have a vitamin D deficiency

First of all - consult with a specialist and follow this plan:

take a blood test;
be in the fresh air more often;
revise your meal plan to get the vitamins you need from your diet;
take vitamin D supplements at recommended doses on a daily basis.

NUTRILITE^TM Vitamin D is suitable for daily use over a long period of time. You can also take this vitamin D in the summer, especially if you have to spend all day indoors at work. The supplement is suitable for people from risk groups - it restores the concentration of this substance in the blood. And for everyone else, it helps to get the necessary amount of vitamin and not worry about unpleasant deficiency symptoms.