If you want to prevent vitamin D deficiency, you have to know where to get vitamin D. This vitamin is important for many reasons. It affects the absorption of phosphorus and calcium in the body, which is very important for healthy bones and strong teeth. Low vitamin D levels can lead to various problems.
Vitamin D is produced in the skin, when the sun exposure is adequate. Now, the question is what is an adequate sun exposure? According to what doctors say, a white-skinned person will have to spend twenty minutes in the sun (minimum) to get vitamin D. This has to be done several times a week. A dark-skinned person has to spend more time in the sun to get vitamin D, because darker skin has more melanin that acts as a sun block; therefore, more time is needed for dark skin to produce vitamin D.
Where to Get Vitamin D
During summer, it is quite easy to get vitamin D. All you have to do is spend some time outside, in the sun. Of course, it is no recommended to expose your skin to the sun if it is too strong, but healthy morning sun will be good for you. You can also wait until 5 pm, then go out, and enjoy the sun. Children should spend some time in the sun as well; however, don’t let your child get burnt! If you have a baby, talk to your doctor about the best time to take your baby outside during summer.
The problems usually start with the first days of winter. You may start feeling a bit tired and low in energy. This is actually quite common during winter. You have probably noticed that your energy levels are lower during the winter months. The explanation for this can be found in low levels of vitamin D. During the winter months, you don’t get enough sunlight, which is why your vitamin D levels can get very low, and you may experience symptoms like:
● Fatigue
● Weakness
● Pain in muscles
● Bone fractures
● Lack of energy
These are the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency. In the beginning, this condition shows no symptoms at all; however, when vitamin D levels get low enough, the symptoms will occur.
Severe deficiency of vitamin D can lead to problems like:
● Rickets in children
● Osteoporosis
● Osteomalacia
● Depression
● Increased cholesterol in blood
● High blood pressure
● Patients who have type 2 diabetes and have vitamin D deficiency, may experience problems with controlling diabetes.
To avoid these problems, you should know how to get vitamin D. As we said, sunlight is the best natural source of this vitamin, but the question is what to do when winter starts?
You can do several things. First, do not let your vitamin D levels become low. Visit your doctor in time. This is especially important if you live in a cold weather country and you can’t get much sunlight – not even during summer. Talk to your doctor about the foods that contain vitamin D and see if you need any supplementation. Your doctor will measure your vitamin D levels and see if you need vitamin D supplements.
During winter, most people need to take vitamin D supplements, because the quantities found in foods are simply not sufficient to fulfill your daily needs. However, consuming foods that contain vitamin D will certainly be beneficial.
The foods that contain vitamin D include:
● Fish oil
● Egg yolk
● Formula milk
● Animal meat
● Fortified cereals