Everyone knows that vitamins are essential for human health and development. There are many, but what do we know about the amazing vitamin D?
Consider its beneficial and harmful properties, as well as find out what the deficiency and overabundance of vitamin D in the body leads to, and we will learn how to take it correctly.
Vitamin D: Short Description
Vitamin D or ergocalciferol is a fat-soluble vitamin that is formed in the tissues of plants and living things by exposure to ultraviolet rays. Group D vitamins include:
• D2 - ergocalciferol
• D3 - cholecalciferol
• D4 - dihydro-ergocalciferol
• D5 - sitocalciferol
• D6 - stigmacalciferol
By familiar to us, vitamin D is understood as a compound of cholecalciferol and ergocalciferol. The combination of vitamin D2 and D3 is necessary for the full development of man.
Vitamin D is necessary for the absorption of substances such as phosphorus and calcium, which greatly strengthens the human muscular and skeletal system. The sufficiency of this vitamin in the body prevents diseases of the cardiovascular system, reduces the risk of cancer, autoimmune and infectious diseases.
What foods contain vitamin D?
When discussing any of the vitamins, you first need to know where and what it contains. It is this information that will help increase or, conversely, limit the consumption of products and preparations containing ergocalciferol. Vitamin D is found in the following foods:
• Herring
• Salmon
• Mackerel
• Pork liver
• Beef liver
• Sour cream
• Butter
• Egg yolk
• Meat
• Corn oil
• Milk
• Sardines
• Tuna
• Mushrooms
• Cod
• Caviar
• Fish fat
Based on the above products, it can be concluded that ergocalciferol is found in seafood, fish oil, dairy products and in meat. However, it should be noted that regular use of all of these products does not guarantee the vitamin D deficiency in the body.
Benefits of Vitamin D
It's no secret that vitamins for a person are vital. As for vitamin D, the whole range of useful properties of ergocalciferol is practically unknown to anyone. Many have heard that vitamins of group D are necessary for the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, almost everyone has heard that vitamin D is good for bones, but is all this and what benefits does ergocalciferol bring?
Consider the positive effects of vitamin D on the human body:
• Strengthens the tissues of the whole body and skeletal system
• Improves the exchange of phosphorus and calcium
• Promotes proper bone growth
• Prevents cardiovascular disease
• Prevents diabetes
• Prevents osteoporosis
• Reduces chronic high blood pressure (hypertension)
• Positive effect on hair
• Strengthens teeth
• Regulates cell growth and normal functioning
• Positive effect on the human immune system
• Reduces the risk of cancer of the breast and other
All these positive properties belong to vitamin D and it is not surprising, because it is one of the most important vitamins for the full development of man.
What causes vitamin D deficiency in the body?
It happens that there is not enough vitamin D in the body. This phenomenon is called ergocalciferol deficiency. To identify vitamin deficiency, it is necessary to pass laboratory tests to determine the amount of ergocalciferol and cholecalciferol in the body. Venous blood is given for analysis. Based on the results of laboratory tests, the doctor makes a diagnosis: vitamin deficiency or hypervitaminosis.
But it’s unlikely that anyone will go for a vitamin D test without good reason. These reasons include the first signs of hypovitaminosis of group D vitamins in the human body. But what are they?
In children, vitamin D deficiency is manifested as follows:
• Difficulties in teething
• Delayed closure of fontanelles
• Softening of the bones of the skull
• Deformation of facial bones
• Deformation of the pelvic bones
• Chest deformity
• Increased sweating
• Irritability
• Insomnia
• Rickety bracelets
• Leg curvature
• Rickety rosary
In adults, vitamin D deficiency manifests itself in a slightly different way:
• Osteomalacia
• Osteoporosis
• Lack of appetite
• Sleep disturbance
• Burning sensation in the oral cavity and larynx
• impaired vision
• Significant weight loss
Almost all of the above symptoms of hypovitaminosis can be cured and corrected. The only exceptions are violations and deformation of bones in childhood. For example, a child with rickets can forever remain with deformed bones of the skull and have an unnatural head shape.
An excess of vitamin D in the human body: what is the danger?
Deficiency is certainly bad. Well, what do doctors think about hypervitaminosis, that is, a condition where the vitamin D content in the body is much higher than normal. This state is almost impossible to achieve by eating only food. Often, an overdose of vitamin D is caused by the uncontrolled use of drugs containing ergocalciferol.
Signs of an overdose of vitamin D:
• Joint pain
• Muscle pain
• Headache
• High blood pressure
• violation of the stool
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• weakness
• Lack of appetite
• Increased heart rate
• fever
• Thirst
• constipation
• Frequent urination
If you start the state of hypervitaminosis, then appears risk of serious illness and abnormalities. These include:
• Resorption of stroma
• Bone demineralization
• Osteoporosis
• Vascular calcification
• Calcification of heart valves
• Deposition of harmful salts in various organs: lungs, kidneys, intestines
From the above, he can understand that hypervitaminosis is an unpleasant condition. Moreover, such a deviation can negatively affect individual organs and organ systems, disrupt the work of many processes in the body. Therefore, it is very important to discuss the increase in vitamin D levels in your body with a specialist.
How to avoid the harmful effects of an overdose of vitamin D?
Above, we examined both a deficiency and an excess of vitamin D in the body. Of course, such conditions will negatively affect human health, lead to malfunction of many organs and organ systems, but how to avoid such consequences? Consider recommendations for the proper and proper use of vitamin D without harm to health.
To begin with, the dose of vitamin D is calculated in international units, which are indicated by ME symbols. To determine your daily dose of vitamin D, you need to start from age:
• Up to 13 years - 200 IU
• 14 - 18 years old - 200 IU
• 19 - 50 years old - 200 IU
• 51 - 70 - 400 IU
• Older than 70 - 600 IU
As for pregnant women and women during lactation, their norm is 200 IU. It should be noted that people interested in controlling the level of vitamin D in the body should be observed by a specialist and start taking drugs exclusively with the permission of a doctor. Specialist monitoring is especially important for people suffering from asthma, tuberculosis and epilepsy.
