Combat Vitamin D Deficiency Through Adequate Sunlight Exposure

If you are not going out in the sun often, you may develop vitamin D deficiency. This vitamin is created by the body as a result of sunlight hitting the skin whenever you are outdoors. From late March until the end of September, you should be getting all the vitamin D you need from sunlight. During winter, however, vitamin deficiency may develop because of the insufficiency of sunlight.

Vitamin D Benefits

You need vitamin D to keep blood levels of phosphorus and calcium normal. It also helps your body absorb phosphate and calcium, one of the main building blocks of the bones, from your daily diet. These minerals are vital for your bones, muscles, and teeth.

Aside from the above, vitamin D is a triggering factor in creating antibodies. It helps keep your immune system strong and promotes your overall health. One of the things that you must remember is if you want to avoid osteoporosis as you age, you would need a good amount of vitamin D.

Lack Of Vitamin D

With all the great benefits that vitamin D provides for the body, it is quite obvious now that there are negative effects when you lack this vitamin. In children, they are prone to suffer from rickets, a condition characterized by bone deformities. Adults, on the other hand, could suffer from osteomalacia. Healthline stated that this is a bone disease characterized by soft bones, which easily bend and break.

These are all the negative effects on the body when you lack vitamin D. One of the symptoms of lack of this vitamin is feeling tired most of the time.

Sufficient Vitamin D

To ensure that you don’t suffer from vitamin D deficiency or perhaps overcome it, you must make sure that you get an adequate amount of sunlight. Remember that sunlight can give you vitamin D naturally, which is why the latter is often called the sunshine vitamin.

If exposure to sunlight is not feasible, then you can go for vitamin D supplements. As per the study with the NHS, children from 1-year-old up to adulthood would require 10 micrograms of vitamin D every day. Pregnant women, as well as breastfeeding women, must also acquire the same amount.

Now that it is the winter season getting sufficient vitamin D from sunlight may become taxing. You can visit your general practitioner and ask about vitamin D supplements. With doctor’s advice, you would be able to have the right dosage.