Your body do not produce vitamin D on its own, but it’s necessary to normalize the absorption of calcium and phosphorous. Vitamin D helps in the prevention of bone diseases like bone deformities such as rickets or osteoporosis. It has also been found to improve numerous health problems, together with fighting off tiredness, cancer and depression. We can get Vitamin D from food sources like cheese, egg yolk, and fatty fish, as well as fortified foods with Vitamin D, and, of course, sunlight exposure for UV light. But the question is, how much vitamin D do you require?

People who have less than 10 nanograms per milliliter of vitamin D are considered to have a vitamin deficiency and could experience numerous health problems, from muscle pain to weakness. Experts recommend that we need our vitamin D blood level to be at least of 20 nanograms per milliliter. To attain this, some individuals take vitamin D supplements. Though, the publication claims that many fit adults have these levels without trying. Experts claim that those with healthy levels of vitamin D of which most of us are do not necessarily need to take supplements.

This may be accurate in the wet months, where people do not get enough vitamin D from sunlight. In these months, the sun lacks sufficient levels of UVB radiation for our bodies to make vitamin D. This means we need to get more vitamin D over our diets, which is hard to get. It is for this reason that the Department of Health recommends a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D during cold weather for adults and children over five.

Individuals can choose not to consume supplements in summer time, because they would be getting enough vitamin D through sunlight. However, those who do not spend enough time outdoors could be at threat of a vitamin D deficiency including those who cover their entire body with clothes for personal preference or cultural reasons and those who are deprived of mobility like bed-ridden individuals. It also believed that dark-skinned people may not get sufficient vitamin D from sunlight due to the characteristics of melanin that prevent the penetration of sun rays to the skin. These individuals should consider taking the recommended 10 micrograms of vitamin D for entire year.

PNFP- Karla P. Calapardo, RND

References:

https://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/should-you-be-napping-the-pros-and-cons.html