Also known as the “sun vitamin”, vitamin D plays many roles in maintaining our good health. If you are indoors most of the time and your skin never sees the light of day, then you may not be getting enough of this vitamin. In fact, almost half of the population of Spain is deficient.
Vitamin D is a hormone (because your body can make it when it comes in contact with sunlight) and a vitamin (because you can get it from certain foods).
How much vitamin D do i need?
People ages 1 to 70 need 600 IU (or 15 mcg) a day, while adults over 70 need 800 IU (or 20 mcg) each day, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Failure to adhere to the RDA for vitamin D can affect the entire body, from the immune system to the skin and more.
What are the signs of deficiency?
Weak immune system
Vitamin D plays many roles in keeping your immune system strong. This nutrient dampens the inflammatory response associated with disease and increases immune proteins; And that’s good news when you work to stay healthy.
Getting enough is associated with reducing viral infections by strengthening the body’s physical immune response and helping to reduce inflammation, according to April 2020 research published in Nutrients.
However, the study authors note that extensive randomized controlled trials and large population studies must be conducted to solidify these findings.
Additionally, people with low vitamin D levels reported more coughs, colds, and respiratory infections . Children with rickets caused by low vitamin D suffer more respiratory infections than those with enough vitamin D, according to the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.
Soft bones
It is common to see this vitamin added to a calcium supplement. Also, some milk manufacturers fortify milk (a drink rich in calcium) with vitamin D. There is a reason for this pairing: bone health.
This vitamin helps the body absorb calcium, at all ages, so getting enough vitamin D and calcium together can help prevent osteomalacia (soft bones) and osteoporosis (low bone mineral density) as you age.
Muscle weakness
The link between vitamin D and bone health is clear, but emerging research indicates that muscles may also be affected by low levels of this micronutrient.
Muscle weakness has been observed in people with rickets and osteomalacia, according to research from April 2017 published in Therapeutics Advanceces in Musculokeletal Disease. The researchers also observed that low vitamin D levels were associated with a reduction in muscle mass, which could contribute to falls and fractures as you age.
This does not mean that supplementing with vitamin guarantees you stronger muscles. According to a June 2018 review study published in Bone Reports, supplementation in athletes who were deficient showed mixed results. Some athletes showed improved performance, but others did not.
Joint pain
If you have joint pain or rheumatoid arthritis, it might be a good idea to monitor your vitamin D levels.
Research has consistently found that people with rheumatoid arthritis are deficient, according to a January 2018 review published in the Journal of Natural Science, Biology and Medicine. Also, people in remission have higher levels of this vitamin, while those who experience the worst symptoms have the lowest levels.
It is not yet known whether an inflammatory condition causes vitamin D deficiency or whether vitamin deficiency contributes to inflammatory conditions, according to a January 2015 review published in Dermatoendocrinology.
It’s worth noting that the researchers found that in six of the eight randomized controlled trials, vitamin D3 supplementation reduced the markers of inflammation.
Too much acne on the skin
The deficiency of this vitamin can also play a role in the health of your skin. If you have severe acne, making an appointment with your dermatologist to monitor your vitamin D levels may help clear your face.
Inflammation plays a role in the development of acne, and low levels of vitamin D can contribute to inflammation. In fact, people with vitamin deficiency and acne who added a vitamin D supplement to their daily routine (took 1,000 IU per day for two months) saw an improvement in inflammatory lesions, an August 2016 study published in PLOS One.
Additionally, people with severe acne were more likely to be deficient in this vitamin, an October 2019 meta-analysis published in Australasian Journal Dermatology. It was also observed that, in people with acne, reduced levels of vitamin D increased the volume of the sebaceous glands in the skin.
And that’s not all: Vitamin D deficiency may also play a role in atopic dermatitis and psoriasis , according to the October 2019 review.
Test to detect a vitamin D deficiency
The aforementioned symptoms associated with deficits can alert you that your levels are low, but a blood test is the only way to confirm it.
You want your levels to be between 50 and 125 nmol / L. Below 50 nmol / L is considered insufficient and levels above 125 nmol / L are not recommended.
If your amount is low, your doctor will probably prescribe a supplement and your dose will be determined based on your current levels. Up to 4,000 IU of vitamin D is safe for most healthy adults, but it is still good practice to follow your doctor’s dosing advice to get vitamin D levels within the normal range.
Too much vitamin D supplementation is also not the way to go. It can cause excess calcium in the blood and this can lead to heart problems, damage to the blood vessels and kidney failure.
How does your location influence?
If you live too far north, you may not be able to get enough vitamin D in winter, specifically if you live at latitudes above 37 degrees north or below 37 degrees south of the equator.
In Spain, this line is close to the northern part (Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country). Below the 37th parallel, you have a better chance of getting good vitamin D from the winter sun, according to Harvard Health Publishing.
How to get more vitamin D?
Getting vitamin D is a double-edged sword: too much sun , and you’re at risk for skin cancer, too little , and you’re at risk for vitamin D deficiency.
But there’s one sweet point: Spending 15-20 minutes in the sun twice a week with 40 percent of your skin exposed is enough to prevent deficiency, according to research published in the January 2010 issue of the International Journal of Health Sciences.
When choosing a supplement, is vitamin D2 or D3 better?
Unlike D2, D3 occurs naturally in the body when the skin comes in contact with sunlight. Solid research suggests that D3 supplements can increase blood levels of the vitamin more and maintain those levels longer than D2, according to the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, so go for D3 when you can.