Vitamin D, its importance and sources

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Vitamin D is most often overlooked by many people. Vitamin D plays a vital role in our body and regulates the amount of phosphate and calcium in our body which is responsible for healthy bones and teeth. Vitamin D is needed in order to absorb calcium which is vital for bone health. 

Vitamin D deficiencies could cause our bones to become thin and brittle. In extreme cases toddlers and young children could develop rickets, where the bones are more brittle and it could result to deformities or fractures. Adults who a deficient in vitamin D can develop osteomalacia (soft bones) or osteoporosis (fragile bones).

How can I get vitamin D?

The easiest and best source of vitamin D is gotten from the rays of the sun. This is gotten by exposing the skin to sunlight. people with dark skin such as Africans can expose their skin to the sun without being worried about burns because the melanin of the skin prevents the skin from being destroyed by the rays of the sun. However light skinned people should not expose their skin to sunlight for long periods of time without applying sun cream.

There are some foods that contain Vitamin D, however, it is not easy to get the required amount of vitamin D that the body needs from food. Vitamin D supplements are also available at pharmacies nationwide.

Food sources of Vitamin D include:

• Egg yolk
• Salmon fish or salmon fish oil
• Sardine fish or sardine fish oil
• Shrimp
• Cow’s milk
• cheese and butter
• Tuna
• mushroom
• Fortified orange juice
• Fortified milk
• Fortified yogurt
• Fortified cereal

The following groups of persons are at risk of Vitamin D deficiency

• Children who are below 5 years of age: children who are 6 months and above are supposed to take daily supplements of vitamin D. babies below 6 months who are being bottle fed already have enough vitamin D because their milk has been fortified with vitamin D.
• Pregnant and breastfeeding women.
• People who do not expose their skin to the sun for religious and cultural reasons
• Adults aged 65 and above.

Sources:

http://www.nhs.uk/news/2012/01January/Pages/vitamin-d-medical-advice-and-supplements.aspx

http://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/benefits-vitamin-d