Vitamin D deficiency, symptoms, problems and how to increase it quickly: here is all the information about it.
Our body, to stay healthy, needs certain nutrients; among these there is also the vitamin Da very important substance for the function it has for our calcium metabolism and also in controlling the levels of the substance (and also of phosphorus) in our blood.
Contained in the liver, it is synthesized by our body for the most part by absorbing the sun’s rays and, to a very small extent, by some food; so what to do in case of a deficiency, what can be the symptoms of this pathology and how to try to remedy it by increasing the levels in our body? Here are all the details.
Vitamin D: very important for our body
Under normal conditions, we are capable of synthesizing vitamin D which it serves our body thanks to exposure to sunlight; therefore, those cases in which we have to resort to food (with a few foods that contain it) and other solutions are particular. As already mentioned and as the humanitas.it website explains in one of its articles, this vitamin is a fundamental component in the regulation of calcium and phosphorus metabolism; it also acts directly on the growth and remodeling of the skeleton, which is essential for bone health. It also seems, from recent studies, that it has possible functions also at the level of the central nervous, cardiovascular, immune systems, as well as on cell differentiation and growth. In short, it is really an important vitamin, which should not be lacking in our body.
Details on the shortage and how to remedy it
Unlike other deficiencies, vitamin D (again as the source points out) does not lead to obvious symptoms; in this case so it’s more difficult to notice the lack in question, which we can only remedy with periodic checks with blood tests. In principle, the adequate values of vitamin D in the body are between 30 and 100 ng/ml; if a value between 20 and 30 ng/ml is found then one could speak of a deficiency, while for a value below 10 the deficiency is considered serious. There are problems even when the values are larger; above 100 ng/ml we speak of intoxication, a very rare condition and usually caused by the wrong use of supplements. This is also why it is good that, in the event of a vitamin D deficiency, you should consult a doctor or specialist, who will be able to make the right diagnosis for the case.
I more at risk deficiency the elderly (due to reduced skin synthesis capacity), institutionalized individuals or with inadequate exposure to the sun, people with dark skin (due to greater skin pigment), pregnant or breastfeeding women, people suffering from obesity and those who have extensive dermatological pathologies (e.g. vitiligo, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis or burns). Usually, in our latitudes, from March to November, exposure to sunlight of about 25% of the body surface for at least 15 minutes 2-3 times a week is sufficient to maintain the right levels of vitamin D.