Despite expert information, there are still misconceptions that vitamin D is a miracle that, if taken in large doses, will save us from all diseases. However, this is not true, there is no vitamin or nutritional supplement that will cure everything.
Vitamin D, also called sun vitamin, is produced in the skin in response to sunlight. Vitamin D is fat soluble. So our body can make it itself, but we can also supply with food or nutritional supplements.
Vitamin D functions
- Regulation and absorption of calcium and phosphorus
- Support of the normal immune system
- Healthy growth and development of bones, teeth
,,There is no one universal vitamin that will save us from all diseases.“
Myths and facts about vitamin D
- The more vitamin D, the better for your health - Myth
Everything in large quantities can be very harmful, including vitamin D. Although this situation is less common, toxicity can occur due to taking too many vitamin D supplements. Symptoms of an overdose of vitamin D include vomiting, frequent urination, weakness, bone pain or kidney pain.
If you meet with these symptoms while taking a nutritional supplement, ask your doctor for a blood test. You may find that you do not need to supplement vitamin D, although most people are more likely to be deficient in this vitamin.
- Vitamin D is associated with weight loss - Fact
At first glance, it may seem that vitamin D has nothing to do with weight loss. However, when it is lacking, we feel muscle weakness or bone pain. And that prevents us from moving and living an active life.
A study by the Oxford Academy even found that women who lost weight and were deficient in vitamin D were losing weight much more slowly than women with enough sun vitamin.
- It is easy to get enough vitamin D from a balanced diet – Myth
Only a few foods contain Vitamin D, such as fish, eggs, milk, portobello mushrooms. For example, 1 egg contains 1.1 mcg (44 IU) of vitamin D, which is only a very small % of the recommended daily dose.
So don't rely on eating eggs, milk or fish on cloudy days. This will cause a vitamin D deficiency.
- Low levels of vitamin D are associated with a bad mood - Fact
If you feel unwell in recent days and feel as if nothing makes you happy, ask your doctor to check your vitamin D levels through blood test.
It is vitamin D deficiency that can greatly affect your mental state, as several studies have confirmed that there is a correlation between low vitamin D levels and mood disorders.
- Just go out at any time of the day and I will have enough Vitamin D - Myth
Vitamin D is also called solar vitamin, as it is obtained mainly from the sun. However, this is not always enough. It very much depends on factors such as season, time of day, clouds, skin pigment or the use of sunscreen.
For example, people who have darker skin are not able to take in as much vitamin D through the sun as people with paleer skin.
Experts have agreed that a sufficient amount of vitamin D is enough for about 15-30 minutes daily staying outside (between 10:00 and 16:00). Of course, the sun should fall directly on the skin, so clothing and sunscreens prevent it.
On the other hand, you need to watch out for skin cancer. Sunlight increases the risk of skin cancer and also promotes and makes wrinkles more visible.
- Vitamin D supports the immune system – Fact
To keep your immune system functioning as it should, make sure you have enough amount of Vitamin D. It actually helps to reduce harmful inflammatory reactions in the body and increases the production of immune cells.
Taking Vitamin D in the form of nutritional supplements is one of the easy ways we can protect ourselves from infection:
- In general, supplementation of 800-1,000 IU / day is recommended, which is a dose that is intended to ensure not only bone and muscle health, but also immune support.
- People who are expected to be deficient in vitamin D should consider taking a higher dose, e.g. 4,000 IU / day for the first four weeks before reduction to 800 IU - 1,000 IU / day.