A few years ago, patients used to come to foreign countries for treatment and say, "They did so many tests in Asian countrys, but no one could detect that my blood is low in vitamin D!"
However, the American and European Endocrine Societies agree that there is no need to test everyone's vitamin D levels on a mass scale unless necessary. But this expensive test has now become a routine test. And you should also know that vitamin D is not a specific treatment for any disease.
The nutritional quality of the food of the bare-chested boatman who crosses the river singing and singing, or the farmer who works in the fields, may not always be right, but if you test for vitamin D, you will find the right amount in your blood. Because, another name for vitamin D is the 'sunshine vitamin'. When sunlight hits our skin, vitamin D is automatically produced from the cholesterol accumulated in the skin. Then it mixes with the blood and goes to the liver and kidneys and turns into active vitamin D. That is, it becomes stronger. Its function in the body is to absorb calcium in the blood and keep its amount right, keep bones strong and sturdy, maintain muscle strength, prevent certain diseases, etc. Although a type of vitamin, D is now called a hormone due to its various metabolic effects.
Sunlight contains ultraviolet rays, which are used to produce vitamin D. But if the amount of melanin in the skin is high, less vitamin D is produced. Melanin is a natural sunscreen, which protects us from ultraviolet rays. It acts like armor. Since dark skin (dark skin) has more melanin than white skin, vitamin D production will be less in dark skin.
How to get vitamin D
According to the National Institutes of Health in the United States, it is possible to get enough vitamin D by exposing the whole body to the sun for 10 to 30 minutes at least three days a week between 10 am and 3 pm. Covering the body and using sunscreen will reduce the production of this vitamin D. Children and the elderly need a little more vitamin D, while others need 600 to 800 units per day.
What can happen if vitamin D is low
We are all more or less familiar with the name rickets. It is a type of bone disease in children. It causes the child's arms and legs to bend. This disease is caused by a lack of vitamin D. Adults get osteomalacia. These patients are seen to have pain in the body, arms and legs, and bones. If there is a lack of vitamin D, the tendency to osteoporosis or brittle bones increases with age. Bones can break with a minor injury. In addition to these bone problems and diseases, various other complications can occur due to vitamin D deficiency. Such as heart problems, various types of cancer, metabolic syndrome, and decreased immunity. Vitamin D deficiency plays a role in increasing the risk and incidence of infections and autoimmune diseases. It is a research-based fact that those who had adequate vitamin D had a lower incidence and complications of COVID-19 infection.
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