The vitamin D is crucial for the absorption and metabolism of calcium so that its deficiency is a decisive factor for developing osteoporosis and muscle weakness, favoring falls and fracture risk. Although the best source of vitamin-D is Sunlight but in sedentary lifestyle people don’t find to get it from the Sun.
It is very difficult to achieve a daily intake greater than 200 IU – an international unit that is equivalent to 5 micrograms – far from the 800 IU (20 micrograms) that is recommended.
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Amount of vitamin D recommended at different ages:
Unlike the 800 IUs mentioned, the National Institute of American Health suggests the following doses adjusted to each stage of life and, although there is no global consensus on it, it serves as a guide:
- Children under 12 months: 400 IU.
- Children aged 1 to 13 years: 600 IU.
- Adolescents 14 to 18 years: 600 IU.
- Adults aged 19 to 70 years: 600 IU.
- People older than 71 years: 800 IU.
- Pregnant and breastfeeding women: 600 IU.
Normally Vitamin D deficiency, below 30 ng/ml in blood, affects 50 percent of people and exceeds 70 percent in women after menopause.
Getting vitamin D from food
Most of the vitamin D absorbed by the body comes from ultraviolet radiation, around 80 or 90 percent, while the rest is achieved through nutrition. The foods rich in vitamin D, besides dairy products, are almonds, Oranges, Mushroom, Broccoli, carrots, avocado.
There is no doubt that the milk cow is an important source of this nutrient but what if we choose vegetable drinks such as soy milk ? These products are enriched with vitamin D so that its composition is very similar in this aspect. If we compare two of the main milk brands on the market, one cow, and one soy, we find that they have 0.8 mcg and 0.75 mcg per 100 ml respectively.
It is also possible to obtain this vitamin through cereals and fortified juices but it should be noted that the consumption of these foods should be limited since in general, breakfast cereals and juices are rich in simple sugars. Therefore, it is possible to achieve the required levels of non-dairy foods , such as those mentioned, although this pharmaceutical remembers that the highest percentage corresponds to solar synthesis.
What about vitamin D supplements?
In addition to including these foods in a balanced diet, are vitamin D supplements necessary to correct the deficit? “Its deficiency is related to bone level diseases and other pathologies problems as cardiovascular, immune system disorders, but for the doctor to set the dose in these cases.
In this sense, the study of FEN and Finut shows the lack of scientific evidence of the benefits of vitamin D supplements in healthy people, although it recognizes that they are usually recommended as a preventive measure in the absence of adverse effects.
