Our body produces vitamin D as a response to sun exposure. Generally, our body cannot create vitamins, and the requirement of vitamins is fulfilled through a proper diet. But when it comes to vitamin D, our body can be produced when it is exposed to sunlight.

Our body essentially requires this vitamin for several reasons, including maintaining healthy bones and teeth. In addition to that, vitamin D also protects against certain diseases, including type 1 diabetes. In addition to that, vitamin D also helps in

• the absorption and regulation of magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus.
• The hardening, remodelling, and growth of the bones
• Boosting the immune functioning
• Improving the nerve and muscle functioning

Here in this article, we will explore everything you need to know about vitamin D. So, stay connected with us and read the article until the end.

Health Benefits of Vitamin D

Vitamin D comes up with plenty of health benefits. Let’s briefly discuss a few of them.

· Keeps Your Bones Healthy

Vitamin D has proven to help regulate calcium and maintain phosphorus levels in the blood. These factors contribute towards maintaining healthy bones. Also, our body needs vitamin D to allow intestines to stimulate and absorb and reclaim calcium. Otherwise, the kidneys would excrete this calcium.

Deficiency of vitamin D causes rickets in children, which is referred to as softening of the bones. Similarly, lack of vitamin D causes osteomalacia in adults, which causes the bones to soften and leads to muscular weakness.

· Reduces Depression

Studies show that vitamin D plays a vital role in boosting the mood and warding off depression. One study showed that giving vitamin D supplements to people suffering from depression resulted in improved symptoms.

Similarly, another study showed that vitamin D deficiency is more common in people experiencing anxiety and depression. So, adding an adequate vitamin D to your daily routine can help deal with stress and anxiety.

· Vitamin D aids in Weight Loss

If you want to achieve your weight loss goals, consider adding vitamin D to your daily diet. In particular, vitamin D supplements have proven to be incredibly useful in dealing with weight loss issues. These supplements also help in minimizing the risk of heart diseases.

People who take calcium and vitamin D supplement are more likely to lose weight because these minerals possess an appetite-suppressing effect.

· Vitamin D and Coronavirus

Vitamin D has proven to be successful in dealing with coronavirus. Several studies have shown that patients suffering from COVID-19 lack vitamin D.

One study showed that among all COVID-19 patients, 80% lacked levels of vitamin D in their blood. In addition to that, people lacking vitamin D levels are at a higher risk of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Resultantly these patients had an increased risk of getting affected by COVID-19.

Furthermore, studies also indicate that patients with lower vitamin D levels had more severe COVID-19. That's why scientists recommend vitamin D intake to reduce the chances of getting affected by COVID-19.

· Food Sources of Vitamin D

Having realized the benefits of vitamin D, you might be considering adding vitamin D to your daily diet. Apart from sunlight and vitamin D supplements, there are plenty of food sources that you can include in your daily routine to fulfil your daily vitamin D requirements. Here are the best food sources of vitamin D.

• Sardines
• Egg yolk
• Salmon
• Shrimp
• Fortified Milk
• Fortified cereal
• Yoghurt
• Orange juice

Generally, it becomes difficult to fulfil vitamin D requirements through sun exposure and food alone; hence taking vitamin D supplements can help in this case.

What Happens when you take too much Vitamin D?

Overdosing on vitamin D supplements over a long period can cause too much calcium to build up in the body, which can damage the kidneys and heart.

Taking ten micrograms of vitamin D supplements in a day would suffice for most people. Taking more than 100 micrograms of vitamin D supplements can cause severe harm, especially to adults, breastfeeding women, and children aged 11 – 17 years.

However, always consult your doctor before taking vitamin D supplements. He will suggest how much vitamin D you should take based on your medical history.

Side Effects of Vitamin D Supplements

Apart from the benefits, vitamin D supplements have plenty of side effects as well. Doctors advise vitamin D levels to be at least 20 ng of vitamin per mL of blood. If the levels rise above 50 ng/mL, you may experience adverse side effects of vitamin D supplements.

Some of the side effects of vitamin D supplements are listed below.

· Hypercalcemia

This is the most significant side effect of excessive usage of vitamin D supplements. Hypercalcemia refers to an excess of calcium in the blood. It occurs when calcium level is more than 10,400 ng/mL of calcium in the blood.

Having this high level of calcium in the blood leads to a wide range of complications such as:

• Diarrhoea
• Constipation
• Loss of appetite
• Confusion and trouble thinking
• Nausea and vomiting
• Continuous headache
• Muscle weakness
• Reduced reflexes

· Dehydration

An excessive amount of calcium in the body can affect the kidney's ability to concentrate urine, which results in a person's producing large quantities of urine. This condition is called polyuria.

When a person passes plenty of diluted urine, he loses large quantities of water and electrolytes. As a result of this, a person with vitamin D toxicity may become prone to dehydration. Some of the symptoms of moderate dehydration include:

• Restlessness
• Dry mouth and tongue
• Decreases urinary output
• Sunken eyes
• Dry eyes
• Some of the other side effects include:
• Pancreatitis
• Lung Damage
• Brittle Bones and Bone Pain
• Irregular Heartbeat
• Kidney Damage

Vitamin D Deficiency Test

The most accurate measure of how much vitamin D is present in your body is a 25-hydroxy vitamin D blood test. A 20 ng/mL level to 50 ng/mL is regarded as adequate for healthy people. A level less than 12 ng/mL means the person lacks vitamin D.

References

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3603099/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-vitamin-d/art-20363792

https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/benefits-vitamin-d