Why is Vitamin D Important|Vitamin D Deficiency

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Hello everyone!

The word "vitamin D" reminds me of the Bournvita ad. They said loudly and clearly that "Vitamin D ke bina dodh ka calcium waste ho jata hai". Bournvita is fortified with vitamin D so that children don't miss out on their calcium.

Let me tell you what crossed my mind when I first saw this ad. I just thought, why do you need to add vitamin D to the health drink? Doesn't our body synthesize it in the presence of sunlight?

This may have been the case with you too. But now I think this is being done to make sure the kids don't have rickets, a disease caused by lack of vitamin D.

Allow me to go ahead and tell you more about vitamin D.

It is a fat-soluble vitamin and is also known as the "sun vitamin" because it is synthesized by the body under sunlight (so we should worship the sun god every morning !!).

Why is vitamin D important?

It is an immune system regulator and helps the immune system fight disorders such as colds.

It is important for the absorption and metabolism of calcium and phosphorus, and both are needed for the maintenance of healthy bones.

It plays a key role in maintaining cognitive functions, where the word cognitive refers to awareness, perception, reasoning, and judgment.

I am sure you would love to hear that! According to one study, vitamin D plays an important role in maintaining a healthy weight.

It has been known to reduce the severity and frequency of asthma symptoms.

It has been shown to reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis in women.

It protects against radiation damage (low radiation).

Studies have shown that people with adequate vitamin D levels have a significantly lower risk of developing cancer.

It enables quick recovery from TB.

Low vitamin D levels can increase the risk of heart attack and early death. Hence, it is important to maintain adequate levels of this vitamin in the body.

What happens when there is a vitamin deficiency in the body?

Bone pain and muscle weakness (a sign of deficiency)

Young children can develop rickets, a condition in which the bones become soft. You can also have asthma.

Now the question arises why there is a lack of sun vitamin in the body.

A vitamin D deficiency can be due to one of the following reasons:

If you are on a strict vegetarian diet. Since only animal products are good sources of the vitamin.
When you do not expose yourself to sunlight. We have plenty of sunshine here in India but you may be using too much sunscreen / sunscreen or staying indoors all the time.
When your skin has more melanin pigmentation. In such a case, it can become difficult to synthesize Vit-D.
Being overweight can lead to lower levels of vitamins in the body.
The digestive tract may not get the vitamin from food.

Vitamin D rich foods

fish
milk
Eggs
Cereals (those that are fortified)
mushroom
orange juice

The recommended daily dose is:

600 IU / day for ages 1 to 70
800 IU / day for over 70 years
600 IU / day for pregnant and breastfeeding women

Go outside and take a free dose of vitamin D. However, make sure that you also consume rich foods.

Stay fit and take care of yourself!

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Vinita writes very passionately about health and wellbeing. She was called a skeleton back in school, but she managed to gain 17 kg during her graduation. However, she is still looking for her ideal weight!