In a recent news report I read it stated that in the Sunshine State where I live 0ver 60% of the people suffered from a Vitamin D deficiency.
Why?
Because, it is claimed, people are scared to go out in the sun because of the publicity about sun damage.
This prompted me to do some research and this is what I found.
I will present a series of articles over the next few weeks to cover the subject comprehensively.
Vitamin D Deficiency – Here are several signs.
Vitamin D has significant influence over several of our bodily systems.
In fact it is so necessary that every bodily cell contains a receptor for Vitamin D meaning it performs similar functions to hormones.
When you are exposed to sunlight the cholesterol in your body manufactures Vitamin D.
There are certain foods that also contain Vitamin D. These are foods such as fatty fish and fortified dairy products. However these alone will not supply you with the amount required.
The recommended daily intake (RDI) is usually around 400–800 IU, but many experts recommend even more than that.
Vitamin D deficiency is very common. It’s estimated that about 1 billion people worldwide have low levels of the vitamin in their blood.
A study undertaken in 2011 in the USA demonstrated that 41.6% of adults, 69.2% of Hispanics and 82.1% in African-Americans were deficient in Vitamin D.
There are 7 common reasons you may be deficient in vitamin D:
- Dark toned skin.
- Advanced age.
- Obesity.
- A lack of suitable quantities of fish and dairy products.
- Living in a climate that has minimal sunshine hours.
- The use of sunscreen every time you are outdoors – You need to allow the sun some limited access to your skin.
- Not exposing yourself to sunlight at all.
Those who live near the tropics will obviously have more exposure to the sun and far less likely to be deficient in Vitamin D.
The symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency are not normally very obvious although they may be having a significant effect on your life.
Here are some of the symptoms to watch out for:
- 1. Regularly feeling unwell.
You may easily pick up infections. One of the main functions of Vitamin D is to keep our immune system in good order so it is able to fight off germs and infections.
If you commonly get flu, colds, respiratory issues the chances are you are suffering from a low Vitamin D level.
There are studies that have demonstrated the link between respiratory tract infections such as colds, bronchitis and pneumonia.
Vitamin D directly acts with the cells that help fight off infection.
How much is enough?
A number of studies have found that taking vitamin D supplements at a dosage of up to 4,000 IU daily may reduce your risk of respiratory tract infections.
Another study conducted on people with Chronic Lung Disorder (COPD) found that Vitamin D supplement made a significant improvement on those who were already severely deficient in vitamin D
The Summary:
Vitamin D is proven to have an important role in immune function. Commonly, a deficiency increases the risk of illness or infections.