April 24, 2021 8 min read

Want to Know about Vitamin D plus Benefits and Supplements Having Vitamin D3

Vitamin D is vital for the health of bones, teeth and muscles. It maintains the amount of phosphate and calcium in the body, which are necessary for the well-being of bones. Vitamin D deficiency causes bone deformation in the body, which leads to rickets and osteoporosis. There are multiple foods with vitamin D like eggs, carrots, avocados and fish. Supplements, as well as dietary changes, can fulfill the vitamin D3 requirements in the body.

What is Vitamin D3?

          Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. It is essential for calcium and phosphate absorption in the intestine. This role is also termed as "bone mineralization" or the mineralization of bones. The term "vitamin D" as a whole refers to many different types of vitamin D. It is also known as calcitriol. Two of the principal compounds of vitamin D are D2 and D3. The health benefits of vitamin D3 are more prominent than vitamin D. Therefore, it is the first preference for supplements.

Difference between Vitamin D and D3

The principal difference between vitamin D and D3 is their sources. Vitamin D comes from plant sources, while vitamin D3 comes from both plant and animal sources. The primary source of vitamin D is fortified foods, while vitamin D3 is fish oil and organic olive oil. Another name for vitamin D is vitamin D2.

Health Benefits of Vitamin D

          Vitamin D has multiple benefits. Some of the major ones are:

Fights Diseases

         Vitamin D is a fighter against multiple diseases. It plays a pivotal role in reducing the risk of sclerosis and heart diseases. It helps in the regulation of cardiovascular functions. Maintaining a normal blood pressure is also one of the effective tasks performed by vitamin D. It also reduces the chances of getting the flu. It boosts immunity and provides the body with the energy to fight multiple infections. Boosted immunity helps the body fight against any kind of infection in a better way.

 Reduces Depression

         Vitamin D seems to reduce the symptoms of distress and anxiety significantly. A study showed that usage of vitamin D supplements decreases the symptoms of despair in people using it. Healthy brain functioning is directly related to a balanced intake of vitamin D. Researchers have found that if this intake is disturbed, brain function gets disturbed drastically. Due to this reason, deficiency of vitamin D can lead towards neurological problems that can have their imprint as psychological problems as well. If vitamin D is taken in its proper quantity, it helps break this chain, and ultimately stress issues can be resolved.

 Assists in Weight Loss  

   People who want to lose weight quickly should add vitamin D supplements to their diet regularly. Vitamin D and calcium suppress feelings of hunger and provide fullness. It happens through the production of serotonin. Vitamin D leads to the production of serotonin, which in turn produces a feeling of satiety. Therefore, people taking calcium and vitamin D supplements reduce weight more effectively than others do. Moreover, studies have shown that vitamin D blood level and body fat percentage are inversely proportional. Low vitamin D in the blood is found to be associated with a high body fat percentage. Vitamin D also helps in weight loss by reducing the production of new fat cells in the human body. Suppressing the storage level of fat cells is effective in reducing the accumulation of fats. 

 Keeps Bones Healthy

         Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones. The deficiency of vitamin D causes rickets in children, which is a bone deformation disorder. It is not only rickets but there is also more to it. Bone weakness is the most common one among them. Then it can also be bowed legs, which is more horrible. In addition to that vitamin D deficiency can lead to other skeletal disfigurements, which causes a stooped posture. Due to these reasons, the calcium absorption role of vitamin D is said to be the most vital one. Vitamin D is necessary for better absorption of calcium in bones and the intestine. Regulating the calcium absorption in bones makes vitamin D directly involved in bone health.

Maintains Insulin Level

       During the last decade, the link between vitamin D intake and abnormal metabolic activity of glucose held a great value. Proper intake of vitamin D regulates the level of insulin in the blood. It is how it becomes a safeguard against diabetes. It is believed that vitamin D intake helps in maintaining a good sensitivity of the body towards insulin. Increasing the vitamin D blood level a bit more than the normal amount can be vital for people who are diagnosed with diabetes. 

Fights Cancer 

        Vitamin D influences the wrong expression of those genes that can become a trigger for cancer in body cells. This gives the human body a smart fighting system against cancer. Studies have shown that people whose diet has a higher level of vitamin D are less likely to produce many types of cancer. The major one of those is colorectal cancer, cancer that occurs in the rectum or colon. Although the results are not very conclusive, there is a high chance that vitamin D helps in preventing cancer formation in body cells. 

Health of Children

       It has been found that low intake of vitamin D has been a leading cause of high blood pressure in children. Although blood pressure diseases are rarely found in children, vitamin D deficiency is a cause of it. Its proper intake ensures the maintenance of normal blood pressure.

Effective for Asthma

        Some people have steroid-resistant asthma. Vitamin D is useful in a way for them. It has been found that lower levels of vitamin D can harm asthma. It is because low levels of vitamin D are responsible for an increase in the airway smooth muscle while reducing the already affected lung function in case of severe asthma. Vitamin D can be helpful in the prevention of asthma. Moreover, it is also a good factor when it comes to exacerbating asthma.      

Foods with Vitamin D

The only nutrient that our body produces when exposed to sunlight is vitamin D. This makes our body the producer of Vitamin D on its own. Nevertheless, Vitamin D3 is most likely to be obtained from external sources. Some of the famous foods having vitamin D are:

  •      Red meat: Meat from animals like cows, buffalo, camels, etc. is red meat. Its color before cooking is blood red, and once cooked, it gets a darker shade. It is a valuable source of Vitamin D.
  •      Liver: Although the liver is high in cholesterol, it is also a great source of vitamin D. Its limited intake can be beneficial.
  •      Mushrooms: The only known plant source of vitamin D are mushrooms. The best ones are the white, exposed to UV light, and raw mushrooms. If you are a vegetarian, mushrooms are the best choice. Mushrooms can synthesize vitamin D the way we do when exposed to sunlight. Therefore, this makes them a good source of vitamin D2.
  • Egg yolks: Egg white contains most of the proteins, while vitamins, minerals, and fats are found in egg yolk. Vitamin D is found in ample amounts in egg yolks.
  •      Fish oil or cod liver oil: If you say no to fish, taking one of these oils can prove to be a great vitamin D supplement. It is better to take one of these at a time rather than taking both of them together. 
  •      Salmon: Famous as a source of vitamin D, it is a fatty fish. Farmed salmon contains only 25% of the amount of vitamin D that wild salmon has. 
  •      Cheese: Cheese can be counted as one of the best sources of vitamin D that can be included in a regular diet. It is not only scrumptious to be added as a topping but also proves to be a great supplement of vitamin D. 
  •      Fortified Milk: Milk does not naturally contain many vitamins and minerals. However, they can be added to it through artificial processes. It is how vitamin D can be made a part of fortified milk. Cow's milk can become a good supplement of vitamin D once it is fortified.

Vitamin D Dosage

Vitamin D dosage varies with age. Known as the "sunshine vitamin", most of its body needs are fulfilled by the body through the exposure of UV light radiations.

8.5-10 micrograms per day are suitable for babies up to 1 year. 

For people above one, it is 10 micrograms per day. 

Dosage of vitamin D varies from person to person based on factors like age, gender, lifestyle, exposure to sunlight, skin color, geographical location etc.

 

People who are Likely to Develop Vitamin D Deficiency

 Some people are more likely to suffer from vitamin D deficiency. It happens due to different reasons based on age, location, exposure to sunlight etc. If you fall into any of the following categories, you might want to counter check your intake of vitamin D.

  • Older Adults:The natural ability of the skin to synthesize vitamin D declines as a person ages. This major factor leads the elderly towards vitamin D deficiency. Moreover, older people spend most of their time indoors due to their weakened bodies. It gives them limited exposure to UV rays. To avoid such conditions, it is advised to sit in direct sunlight during safe hours and increase the outdoor activities as your body allows.
  •   People With Limited Sun Exposure: People who do not get exposed to direct sunlight are very likely to become vitamin D deficient. Some people have sensitive skin that limits their sunlight exposure. Others have such office work timings that they spend most of the sunlight hours indoors. Many parents keep their children indoors most of the time due to the prevailing dangers in the outside world. Due to any of these or other reasons, if the UV light exposure is less than the needed amount, vitamin D supplements must be taken to maintain a balance.
  • People with Dark Skin: People have dark skin because their skin cells have greater amounts of the pigment melanin. Melanin is known to reduce the sunlight absorption level of the skin. Although it protects the skin from harmful UV rays, its excessive amounts make the production of vitamin D difficult too. Therefore, people with dark skin should take more vitamin D supplements after a recommendation from a physician.
  •  People Having Obesity: Although obesity does not have any direct effects on the vitamin D synthesizing capacity of the skin, it creates a need for more vitamin D intake in the body. It happens because of a large number of fats in the body. Vitamin D is also known to help in reducing obesity.

 Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency

         Some of the common symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency are:

  • Weakness
  • Fatigue
  • Muscular pain
  • Depression
  • Mood swings
  • Joints pain
  • Sickness or infection regularly
  • Hair fall problems

 Causes of Vitamin D Deficiency

The common reasons that cause vitamin D deficiency are:

  • Insufficient exposure to sunlight
  • Deficiency of vitamin D in daily diet
  • Lack of Vitamin D production in the skin
  • Multiple health issues like liver, kidney and gastrointestinal diseases may also lead toward vitamin D deficiency.

Low Vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency causes multiple changes in the body. Some of them are:

  • Infections
  • Hypertension
  • Cancer
  • Heart disease
  • Diabetes
  • Autoimmune problems

Risk and Side Effects

         Although vitamin D3 is beneficial for health, still its usage needs monitoring. Excessive use of vitamin D3 causes bone calcification and hardening of vessels. It can also cause nausea and headache when used in excess. Consult the doctor or dietitian before taking any supplements. Get the supplements recommended by a doctor. If you want to make any changes in your diet, consult and finalize a diet plan from your dietitian.

 

     Apart from these, vitamin D3 is a wholesome vitamin used for multiple purposes. If you are looking for premium quality vitamin D, then there is no other place than this. Visit now to book yours.

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