Jakarta –
Recently vitamin D become one that is quite popular, especially in the current pandemic era. Vitamin D is one of the intakes that the body needs to stay healthy. But it turns out that taking vitamin D supplements that are too high can actually have a bad impact on health.
As reported by health.harvard.edu, according to several national survey data collected by researchers from 1999 and 2014, it was found an increase of 2.8% in the number of people consuming vitamin D in unsafe doses, which is more than 4,000 IU per day. Generally, the recommended dose of vitamin D is 600 to 800 IU per day for most people.
Vitamin D itself can actually be obtained in various ways, not always through supplements. One of them is by sunbathing. The body will produce vitamin D after exposure to sunlight. This method has long been known to help build strong bones by increasing the body’s absorption of calcium and phosphorus.
Dr. JoAnn E. Manson, Professor of Women’s Health at Harvard Medical School explains that although vitamin D has a large role in helping bone health, there is no evidence that vitamin D can prevent other health conditions. In his research, Dr. Manson found that people who took vitamin D did not reduce their rates of heart attack, stroke, or cancer.
Factors Affecting the Required Vitamin D Dose
Several factors can affect the dose of vitamin D needed by the body. What are the factors?
Residence
If you live in the North or where it has cold winters, you are at higher risk of developing a vitamin D deficiency. This is because your skin cannot produce any vitamin D from sun exposure during the winter months.
Age
As we age, the skin’s ability to produce vitamin D decreases. If you’re over 65, you can only produce a quarter of the vitamin D you were in your 20s.
Skin color
Dark-skinned people have lower levels of vitamin D than light-skinned people. African Americans have, on average, half the levels of vitamin D in their blood compared to whites.
Body weight
If you have a body mass index above 30, then you may have low levels of vitamin D.
Food Consumed
Some foods such as salmon, tuna, sardines, milk, orange juice, eggs, cheese, and yogurt contain vitamin D. So the intake of vitamin D obtained by the body depends on what foods you consume.
Certain Health Conditions
People with certain health conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, liver disease, or cystic fibrosis may have difficulty absorbing vitamin D.
Benefits and Dangers Advantages of Vitamin D
Taking vitamin D supplements with adequate calcium intake is believed to improve bone health. However, to obtain these benefits, one does not need to take high doses of vitamin D.
“More is not necessarily better. In fact, more can be worse,” says Dr. Manson.
A 2010 study published in JAMA showed that older women who took very high doses of vitamin D when they fell had more fractures. In addition, taking supplements that contain too much vitamin D can be toxic.
Taking high doses of vitamin D supplements can cause hypercalcemia, a condition in which too much calcium builds up in the blood. This condition has the potential to form deposits in the arteries or soft tissues. It can also cause kidney stones in women.
In order to avoid the dangers of consuming too much vitamin D, you need to limit the intake of vitamin D that you consume. Generally 600 to 800 IU per day is sufficient. Unless your doctor recommends, avoid taking more than 4,000 IU of vitamin D per day. In addition, if possible, choose vitamin D intake from food rather than supplements. Finally, first consult the dose of vitamin D that will be consumed to the doctor. Because if you are on a balanced diet, which regularly includes sources vitamin D which is good, then you may not need any supplements at all.
(saw / saw)
– .
