Keypoint:
- Many Thai people lack vitamin D. Even though Thailand is a hot country Because people’s lives tend to be indoors. Stay in an air-conditioned room, apply sunscreen and avoid sunlight.
- Groups at risk for vitamin D deficiency include people who often spend their lives indoors, the elderly, and people with dark skin. and those who are overweight Moreover, each age group requires different intakes of vitamin D.
- Adjust your lifestyle to live outdoors. Get more sunlight. Especially exposure to sunlight from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for 5-30 minutes, 2 times a week.
Some of the vitamins you choose to eat will be vitamin C Helps with immunity, Vitamin B helps with brain and memory, Vitamin E for beautiful skin, but there is ‘one type of vitamin’. What is often forgotten is ‘Vitamin D’ because many people think that Thailand is already hot. Getting vitamin D from sunlight is probably enough.
Even though people’s lifestyle avoids sunlight, studying, or working in air-conditioned rooms. and when leaving the house to see the sunlight Many people wear hats, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants to cover themselves from the sun. This causes most people to be vitamin D deficient without even realizing it.
‘Vitamin D’ affects the balance of calcium levels in the blood and bones. In this matter, Dr. Phat Chulasiri, orthopedic surgeon Vejthani Hospital Wrote an article saying, Nowadays, Thai people are more afraid of being black. Especially young people who live in the city. Before leaving the house, you must apply sunscreen, foundation, take out an umbrella, and wear long-sleeved shirts. Combined with working in various buildings, UV light doesn’t hit the body much. Which, if looked at in a positive light, will help Thai people reduce skin cancer. But on the other hand, the negative effect is that up to 14% of Bangkokians are vitamin D deficient.
Related news:
Vitamin supplements for ‘working people’. No matter how late you sleep…you won’t feel tired.
“Vitamin” supplements, eating too much can cause more harm than good.
Different ages require different amounts of vitamin D.
‘Vitamin D’ is a fat-soluble vitamin that is generally found in nature in 2 forms:
1. Ergocalciferol or Vitamin D2 is found in foods such as plants, mushrooms, molds, and yeast. People cannot synthesize it themselves, must get it from food only.
2. Cholecalciferol or Vitamin D3 is found in foods such as fish fat and the body can synthesize it by UV light in the sun.
If people lack vitamin D Will make the body tired. Rickets in children is called Rickets and in adults it is called Osteomalacia. There is a problem with the absorption of calcium into the body. The body will be asymmetrical, lose weight, have tooth decay, slow growth, a curved spine, and enlarged wrists, knees, and ankle bones. Resistance to various diseases is reduced. muscle weakness not energetic no energy
How to know if our body has enough vitamin D or not? Dr. Phat said that measuring vitamin D levels is measured by the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D[25(OH)D] In the bloodstream, the normal value is 30-50 ng/ml.
By the amount of vitamin D that the body receives. It depends on the age of each person as follows:
- Children under 1 year should receive 400 IU (10 micrograms) of vitamin D per day.
- Ages 1-70 years should receive 600 IU (15 micrograms) of vitamin D per day.
- Age 70 years and over should receive 800 IU (20 micrograms) of vitamin D per day.
- Women planning pregnancy Should receive 400-600 IU (10 micrograms) of vitamin D per day. For pregnant women in the high-risk group You should get 2,000-4,000 IU (50-100 micrograms) of vitamin D per day.
When vitamin D is lacking What diseases can you be at risk for?
According to research published in the Bangkok Medical Journal in 2015, collecting data on office workers from 211 offices throughout Bangkok, it was found that 36.5% or every 1 in 3 office workers were vitamin D deficient. In addition, some groups of people are at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency than the general population, such as people with dark-colored skin, elderly patients, kidney disease patients, and liver disease patients. Diseases) and people who are overweight (Obese Patients)
Analysis of vitamin D levels to see if they are sufficient or not. Must rely on a blood test, which is one of the health screening programs. In order for the doctor to diagnose and find the risk of various diseases such as thin bones, osteoporosis, etc.
If you have low vitamin D or vitamin D deficiency How does it affect the body?
- cause osteoarthritis (Osteomalacia)
- Rickets in children (Rickets)
- Vitamin D deficiency is also associated with osteoporosis. (Osteoporosis) increases the risk of falls. and may cause bone fractures
- Vitamin D deficiency has other effects on our health besides our bones, such as muscle weakness and helps fight various cancers. Such as colon cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, stimulating the immune system, including type 1 diabetes and MS. – Multiple Sclerosis) and a group of diseases that involve inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. (Inflammatory Bowel Disease – IBD)
The benefits of vitamin D are better than you think.
- Helps reduce stress and resist depression
- Helps to sleep better
- Helps reduce rheumatoid pain
- Helps the functioning of the hormone synthesis system
- Stimulate the immune system in the body
- Helps prevent allergies Autoimmune disease (SLE)
- Helps the body absorb calcium well.
- Helps prevent osteoporosis and thin bones
- Helps control blood sugar levels, blood pressure
- Helps reduce the risk of coronary heart disease
- Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of COVID-19 infection.
Vitamin D is also involved in bone health. It also plays an important role in other diseases, such as infections, according to Israeli researchers. Bar Ilan University (BIU) and the Galilee Medical Center (GMC) have been measuring vitamin D levels. in the patient’s body Before the test results found the infection or the test result is positive ( + ) within a period of 14 – 730 days, it was found that the patient is infected with Covid-19 that is at a severe or critical level. More likely to have vitamin D deficiency before severe infection with levels below 20 ng/mL compared to mild or moderate patients (Source: Jerusalem, 2021)
How important is ‘Vitamin D’ to the body?
Vitamin D has the main function of helping to absorb calcium. Helps strengthen bones and prevents thin bones (Osteopenia) and osteoporosis. (Osteoporosis) Vitamin D also has many special properties that many people may not know. That is, vitamin D has a structure similar to sex hormones. Therefore, it plays an important role in regulating various important processes in the body, such as helping to reduce parathyroid hormone (Parathyroid Hormone) and preventing calcium loss from bones. Increases the secretion of the hormone insulin (Insulin), helping to balance blood sugar and prevent diabetes.
From the study it was found that People who are vitamin D deficient are at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than the general population, and vitamin D supplementation significantly improves the body’s ability to metabolize sugar (glucose metabolism). Vitamin D has also been linked to high blood pressure. (Hypertension) and coronary artery disease (Cardiovascular Diseases) as well
In addition, vitamin D also has an important role in stimulating the body’s immune system (Immune System). Vitamin D Receptor has been discovered or a receptor that binds to vitamin D on T cells and B cells, which are white blood cells that are responsible for eliminating things. Foreign substances that threaten the body such as bacteria, viruses, cancer cells
Currently, there are many studies supporting vitamin D supplementation to help fight various cancers such as colon cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer. Vitamin D helps the brain secrete serotonin. More serotonin has the effect of reducing stress (Stress) and depression (Depression) as well.
In terms of skin, vitamin D helps in cell division (Cell Proliferation) and cell development to repair various wear and tear parts, helping to delay skin aging (Delay Skin Aging).
Vitamin D also affects exercise and sports performance. Especially playing sports that are intense and continuous for a long time, called Endurance Sports, such as long-distance running, cycling (Cycling), triathlons (Triathlons).
According to research, vitamin D helps increase the following potentials:
- Brings oxygen from the blood to the various muscles better while exercising.
- Reduce symptoms of muscle fatigue and inflammation.
- Increase muscle strength and endurance Able to absorb impact forces better
- Its main function is to control the balance of minerals, calcium and phosphate, which affect the process of building strong bones.
- Vitamin D also has anti-inflammatory effects. Strengthen the immune system It takes care of many organs of the body, from the brain, emotions, heart, blood vessels, tendons, bones, muscles, pancreas, ovaries, breast, prostate, and more.
What groups are at risk for vitamin D deficiency?
- People who usually live indoors Including people who wear clothing or use sun protection products. (which at present Sunscreen cream is very effective. Can protect against UVB rays Reduces vitamin D production by 97-100%)
- Elderly people whose skin and kidneys are less efficient at producing vitamin D.
- People with dark skin (The darker the skin color, The less UVB rays you get)
- people who are overweight or have accumulated fat Often people are at risk of having a vitamin D deficiency or deficiency.
- There are also other factors that result in less exposure to UVB rays, such as cloudy days, shade under the eaves, smog, pollution, the season, or the location of the earth’s surface where we live (for example, Thailand is close to the equator, lots of sunlight. Chances of exposure to UVB rays is more than people living near the poles) and UVB rays cannot pass through clear glass, glass windows, or car windows.
Symptoms indicating vitamin D deficiency
- Symptoms are relatively nonspecific.
- Some people may just feel tired and tired.
- Bone pain, aches and pains with no known cause
Therefore, the best diagnosis of vitamin D deficiency is Blood sampling to check the level of hydroxyvitamin D 25(OH)D in the body without fasting from water and food. If it is found that the level of vitamin D is low It is necessary to increase vitamin D levels. For the maximum benefit of the body
Increase your body’s vitamin D levels in a few simple ways.
Adjust your lifestyle to live outdoors. Get more sunlight. Especially exposure to sunlight from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for 5-30 minutes, 2 times a week, with the sun touching your face, arms, legs, or back while not using sun protection products. You will get enough vitamin D as your body needs. But some people may be afraid of blemishes, freckles, dry skin, wrinkles, premature aging, and skin cancer. Therefore, if you cannot change your lifestyle not eating enough food You should take vitamin D supplements.
Before starting to take vitamin D supplements Calcium levels should be checked. Liver and kidney function values should be monitored first and hydroxyvitamin D levels should be monitored. and calcium periodically Caution should be exercised in certain groups of patients, including those with lesions on the parathyroid glands. Some cancers and tuberculosis due to taking vitamin D supplements In this group of patients Which may already have high calcium levels in the blood, which can become worse, therefore taking vitamin D supplements It is best to be under the care of a doctor. The safest and get the highest benefits
How to treat if the body lacks vitamin D
From research, we can see the many benefits of vitamin D, which extend beyond just the bones. But it has important effects on other systems as well. Therefore, and in order to prevent vitamin D deficiency Therefore, we should choose to eat foods that are high in vitamin D along with lifestyle adjustments such as exposure to sunlight in the morning. In addition, taking vitamin D in the form of vitamin supplements. It’s another option. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is 600 international units (IU) for adults up to age 70.
Therefore, we should consult a doctor to measure the vitamin D level in the blood before taking vitamin D supplements because if we consume a large amount of vitamin D, continuously exceeding demand for a long period of time At doses greater than 20,000 IU per day, instead of being beneficial It can cause harm and harm our health as well.
refer: Anti-Aging Medicine Wellness Center, Synphaet Hospital, Ramintra ,Vejthani Hospital , Bangkok Hospital ,Sakarin Hospital ,Samitivej Hospital
2024-02-03 03:24:00
#Vitamin #forgotten #vitamin #Lets
