VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY
1. Vitamin D increases calcium and phosphorous absorption from the intestines, thereby helping in bone formation.
2. It is essential for healthy bones, muscles and teeth.
3. Deficiency of Vitamin D reduces calcium absorption from 60% to 15%.
4. Severe deficiency of Vitamin D could lead to weak bones, rickets in children, osteomalacia (soft bones) in adults, joint pains, tooth cavities, skin related problems, poor concentration levels and listlessness.
5. Vitamin D deficiency is also linked to hypertension, low immunity, heart failure, heart attack, asthma, cancer, diabetes, tuberculosis, mental illness, arthritis and reduced mortality.
REASONS FOR DEFICIENCY
1. Inadequate body exposure to sunlight when bed-ridden, ageing or
completely clothed in winter.
2. Having a dark skin, using a sunscreen lotion always, or in a polluted atmosphere.
3. Suffering from obesity, mal-absorption, kidney or liver ailments.
4. Using drugs for fits or AIDS.
SOURCES OF VITAMIN D
1. Sun is the best source of Vitamin D.
2. Exposure of 15% of your body to sunlight for 15 minutes everyday, preferably between 10-12 in the morning, is sufficient to meet your daily requirement of Vitamin D.
3. We get 80-90% of Vitamin D from our skin, where it is available in inactive form, which gets activated on exposure to sunlight and subsequent action of the liver and kidneys.
4. Active Vitamin D is present in fish, fish liver oils, egg yolk, fortified dairy products, yeast and grain products.
5. Algae, sun-grown mushrooms and soya are good sources of Vitamin D for vegetarians.
6. UV lamps used for skin tanning at wavelengths of 295-297 nm can also be used where sufficient sunlight is not available.
7. Vitamin D-3 supplements can be effective for patients using drugs for fits or AIDS.
8. However, calcium and Vitamin D supplements are not to be used in patients with hypercalcaemia and kidney stones, as calcium supplements can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in those having normal calcium and Vitamin D levels in their blood.
1. Vitamin D increases calcium and phosphorous absorption from the intestines, thereby helping in bone formation.
2. It is essential for healthy bones, muscles and teeth.
3. Deficiency of Vitamin D reduces calcium absorption from 60% to 15%.
4. Severe deficiency of Vitamin D could lead to weak bones, rickets in children, osteomalacia (soft bones) in adults, joint pains, tooth cavities, skin related problems, poor concentration levels and listlessness.
5. Vitamin D deficiency is also linked to hypertension, low immunity, heart failure, heart attack, asthma, cancer, diabetes, tuberculosis, mental illness, arthritis and reduced mortality.
REASONS FOR DEFICIENCY
1. Inadequate body exposure to sunlight when bed-ridden, ageing or
completely clothed in winter.
2. Having a dark skin, using a sunscreen lotion always, or in a polluted atmosphere.
3. Suffering from obesity, mal-absorption, kidney or liver ailments.
4. Using drugs for fits or AIDS.
SOURCES OF VITAMIN D
1. Sun is the best source of Vitamin D.
2. Exposure of 15% of your body to sunlight for 15 minutes everyday, preferably between 10-12 in the morning, is sufficient to meet your daily requirement of Vitamin D.
3. We get 80-90% of Vitamin D from our skin, where it is available in inactive form, which gets activated on exposure to sunlight and subsequent action of the liver and kidneys.
4. Active Vitamin D is present in fish, fish liver oils, egg yolk, fortified dairy products, yeast and grain products.
5. Algae, sun-grown mushrooms and soya are good sources of Vitamin D for vegetarians.
6. UV lamps used for skin tanning at wavelengths of 295-297 nm can also be used where sufficient sunlight is not available.
7. Vitamin D-3 supplements can be effective for patients using drugs for fits or AIDS.
8. However, calcium and Vitamin D supplements are not to be used in patients with hypercalcaemia and kidney stones, as calcium supplements can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in those having normal calcium and Vitamin D levels in their blood.