Jakarta (ANTARA) – A general practitioner who graduated from the University of Indonesia, Dr. Adam Prabata, said vitamin D deficiency will increase the risk of certain diseases or health conditions such as autoimmune disorders, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, as well as complications related to pregnancy.
The PhD candidate for medical science at Kobe University also explained that children who consume breast milk with insufficient vitamin D are also at risk of developing rickets.
“Therefore, special steps to avoid vitamin D deficiency are needed, in order to increase the body’s resistance, while protecting the body from disease,” said dr. Adam on Thursday.
dr. Adam said there are three things that can be done to prevent vitamin D deficiency. The first is to check vitamin D levels regularly.
Routine checks every six months can be done to determine the amount of vitamin D in the body, which is normally 25-80 ng/mL.
“Also do more outdoor activities and consume foods containing vitamin D such as salmon, tuna, beef liver and mushrooms,” said dr. Adam.
Increasing outdoor activities, such as exercising, can help the body get UV-B rays from the sun, where it is hoped that the skin induced by these rays can produce vitamin D.
The third thing that can be done is to take supplements to ensure that the food consumed can meet 20 percent of the body’s vitamin D needs.
According to dr. Adam, sunbathing alone is not enough to meet the remaining 80 percent of vitamin D levels needed daily optimally.
dr. Adam also said that vitamin D3 is preferred as a supplement over D2, because it lasts longer in the blood, and is able to increase vitamin D levels and make it the active form for various important actions for the body’s cells.
Meanwhile, with its anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory properties, vitamin D is useful for activating the immune system’s defenses, thus playing an important role in preventing infections, diseases, and immune-related disorders.
“There is even a study that specifically mentions that patients with optimal serum D3 levels of approximately 50 ng/mL are associated with a very small chance of experiencing fatal consequences due to Covid-19,” said dr. Adam.
“Combining vaccination with strengthening the immune system through consistent consumption of vitamin D3 supplements has the potential to help prevent severe risks of the corona virus, especially with the entry of the Omicron variant since mid-December 2021,” he explained.
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Reporter: Maria Cicilia
Editor: Alviansyah Pasaribu
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