Have you ever been outdoors, feel the warmth of the sun caressing your skin and think it’s a wonderful day?

Then know that it’s all about Vitamin D.

This is because Vitamin D is a nutrient that is also capable of improving your mood.

Is not it fantastic?

If you spend the day gardening, or a walk in the fresh air, your mood will benefit, science tells you so.

Want to know everything there is to know about this sunshine vitamin?

Then follow me!

We know Vitamin D

Vitamin D can be found   in some foods such as tuna, swordfish and salmon.

It is also found in beef liver, eggs, and some cheeses.

Due to the lack of this vitamin in several diets it was then added, let’s say artificially, in fruit juices, milk, yogurt and some cereals.

It must be said that vitamin D is taken from the open air and from the sun but with these problems we have with melanomas caused by sun exposure we say that people no longer want to be in the sun to take vitamins. D without sunscreen!

But let’s say that if using good sunscreens reduces the risk of cancer it also reduces our Vitamin D intake by  95% .

This is why it is okay to take the vitamin from elsewhere, actually supplements should be taken to ensure that our body has the right amount of vitamin.

There are two important processes our body goes through in both the liver and kidneys to turn vitamin D into a substance that the body can actually use.

Unlike vitamin C and vitamin E which are excreted as waste if you consider too much, vitamin D remains in our body for later use. It is a fat-soluble vitamin that is able to be stored in fatty tissue and in the liver and which your body can use when D levels are low.

At the end of the day you will notice the difference on our skin and in our body whether we have taken D or not, it is really obvious.

The purpose for which we take Vitamin D

One of the main purposes for which the presence of Vitamin D in our body is important is for the care  of our teeth and our bones  because Vitamin D regulates the presence of phosphate and calcium present in our body. Without a good combination of calcium and Vitamin D, your bones wouldn’t be as strong as they are. In fact, due to some vitamin deficiencies, consistent traumas also develop.

Vitamin D also has other benefits, such as its role in the nervous system , where it regulates nerve development and function. It has a neuroprotective effect due to the fact that it has an influence on the production of neurotrophins and their release.

Furthermore, it has an impact on neuromediator synthesis and can also protect cells from tissue damage that arises from oxidation. Looking back, when my vitamin D levels were low, I suffered from memory loss and couldn’t concentrate, that’s for sure.

I was then happy to have kept the level of Vitamin D good with supplements because I actually had difficulties and I later discovered that D is the vitamin able to keep dementia at bay, much more than many other substances .

Moreover, this vitamin is also essential for movements because it also helps in the regulation of that field of the nervous system so without the muscles they would not be able to respond to the impulses of the brain.

Also to ward off viruses and bacteria you need D. I didn’t realize at the time but then I discovered, in my shortage period, that I caught flu and cold three times in the same winter.

How Much Vitamin D Do You Need?

Not sure if you have enough vitamin D in your body? Then you have to take the  test!

If you think you are not getting enough and you have some pathology that makes you think of a deficiency you have to take the  25-OH Vitamin D  test but you could also think about doing another test if you suffer from kidney problems which is  1,25-OH Vitamin D  to check the level of calcitriol. The test is a very simple blood test, you are pricked a finger as for the blood sugar and then it will give you the result immediately. Vitamin D wants a level in the body of around  50 ng / ml . So let’s say that between 40 and 60 it’s all legal. To worry if you have a level below 30 and above 125.

Each age has its own level, now we see it:

0 to 12 months: they need 400 IU a day so let’s say they should be given help during this period.

After a year they need 600 IU like people who are under 70. Above 70, the skin is no longer able to absorb the vitamin well and more help is needed also because the kidneys no longer work as they did at 30.

Breastfeeding mothers need the same needs as an adult or a child who is certainly not breastfeeding. A pregnant woman also needs the same amount without overdoing it.

Sounds simple, huh? It is! And it is clear that if we don’t get enough sun, if we don’t want to take it, if we don’t like being in the sun, we have to think about taking vitamin D elsewhere, with supplements.

What if we have too much Vitamin D or too little?

In reality there is the downside, there are also many people who have too much Vitamin D in their body, as we have already talked about many people, almost a billion people who have too little. There are those who do not stay in the sun too much, those who cannot stay there, those for kidney problems, on the other hand, produce too much of it. Babies who don’t get enough vitamin D can develop a condition known as rickets. As previously mentioned, people – including children – require vitamin D to maintain a proper balance of phosphorus and calcium. When they experience extreme and prolonged deficiency, rickets occurs and leads to softening of the bones and weakening in children. Eating products containing vitamin D or taking supplements tends to correct the problem and resolve any bone problems that may arise from rickets. However, children who have a genetic condition that led to rickets may need medications and treatments. Skeletal deformities that are attributed to soft bones may require surgical correction and are more common in infants and children of African American descent. Adults who develop a deficiency may instead end up in a condition known as osteomalacia which leaves the bones soft and very pliable. Unlike osteoporosis, which causes weakening of the bones, theOsteomalacia causes problems in the bone structure process resulting in muscle weakness and aching bone pain.

I guess you are now thinking that you need to gulp down as much Vitamin D as possible but of course this is also wrong!

Taking more artificial Vitamin D can be toxic just as it is not toxic at all to have a surplus of vitamin D from the sun or from foods that naturally contain it!

Although it is rare, you can start to suffer from hypervitaminosis  which is caused by the excess of supplements. People suffering from vitamin D toxicity tend to develop large amounts of calcium in the blood – a condition referred to as hypercalcemia. Symptoms of hypercalcemia can include nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, frequent urination, kidney problems, and weakness. People who already have kidney or liver problems should be very careful with these overdoses, it is clear that one must be very careful when entering the balance of our body.

Who Should Take Supplements?

Beyond the recommendations above, there are groups of people who have a greater need to control and keep their D level good.

An example is people who have celiac disease or  Crohn’s disease. Both conditions cause  people to improperly absorb carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Vitamin D requires fat to absorb, causing vitamin D malabsorption – which results in a deficiency of the vitamin. Not to mention,  people who have these conditions typically have a calcium deficiency as well, which causes further bone problems.

Those with dark skin have a lower ability to obtain vitamin D from sun exposure, while those who fall into the category of obesity problems with the absorption of the vitamin have just as many problems. This occurs because excess body fat binds to a portion of vitamin D and prevents it from reaching the bloodstream.

Finally, breastfed infants may benefit from a supplement because human milk does not contain a large amount of vitamin D. Babies who drink less than 500ml of formula each day can  benefit from a supplement as well. The vitamin should be continued until the child reaches at least five years of age, or on the recommendation of the doctor.

Final thoughts on Vitamin D

After my personal experience with Vitamin D deficiency I always try to be attentive to what are the latest research on the subject. In recent years there has been a trend on the part of doctors to consider an increase in vitamin D in the body to be better enough to take the levels a little further, up to the famous 600ml mentioned earlier. Another important research correlates D deficiency with  multiple sclerosis , diabetes, certain types of cancer and heart disease. Vitamin D would also be useful for the heart. A  Harvard research found that men who had a vitamin D deficiency had a doubled chance of having heart problems. Other studies have found incidence between this deficiency and strokes, for example. Another strange but well-founded thing is that people who live in the north of the earth have a better chance of getting multiple sclerosis than those who live in the sunniest places. Another Swedish research  found that a Finnish child has 400 more chances of getting type I diabetes than a Venezuelan child. A  30-year Harvard study  studied 10,000 Finnish children for years. Those with normal vitamin D had a 90% lower risk of getting diabetes.

As I said when talking about myself, vitamin D is also essential for not catching so many colds or fevers due to the climate. I have happened to have these problems with what I consider the sun vitamin. And what happened to you?

Tell me as well!