Who Can Suffer The Most From Vitamin D Deficiency?

It is very important that people who may be suffering from vitamin D deficiency try to obtain it from its various sources in order to avoid serious health problems.

Our body needs vitamins and minerals to be able to carry out all of its daily activities. So you should try to consume foods rich in vitamins to stay healthy. The body can sometimes suffer from vitamin and mineral deficiency.

Affected people can then have various disorders that affect the functionality of their body and organs.

For this reason, in this article we are going to focus on those people who may suffer the most from vitamin D deficiency in their bodies.

What is vitamin D?

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin which is stored in the fatty tissue of our body.

The purpose of this vitamin is to promote the absorption of minerals such as calcium and phosphorus. These are essential for bones to develop and strengthen naturally.

During childhood, these minerals are of the utmost importance, as they are responsible for the development of bones.

Vitamin D deficiency can occur because the food consumed does not contain enough vitamin D. As a result, the structure and production of both bone and bone tissue may be damaged.

Without these minerals, bones weaken and are more likely to fracture and sustain permanent damage.

How to get vitamin D?

There are several ways to obtain this vitamin which is present in certain foods but which is also obtained naturally.

• In order for the body to produce vitamin D naturally, it is sufficient to expose it to the sun. It is a natural way that is often used by people who suffer from vitamin D deficiency.
• Oily fish are an excellent source of vitamin D, especially tuna, salmon or mackerel.
• Other foods also provide this vitamin, although in smaller amounts. For example, you can find vitamin D in liver, egg yolk, and cheese.
• Mushrooms are also another source of vitamin D. You can even find mushrooms with more vitamin D because they have been subjected to ultraviolet light.

Finally, as we have already stated, light produces the greatest amount of vitamin D.

There aren’t many foods that naturally provide this vitamin. For this reason, vitamin D is often added to many products in order to provide the body with everything it needs.

How much vitamin D do you need for your age?

During each stage of your life, we need a certain amount of vitamin D.

Find out from this list what are the daily amounts (IU) of vitamin D you need according to your age in order to stay completely healthy.

• Newborns, up to 12 months old, should have a vitamin D level of 400 IU.
• For children aged 1 to 13, the levels of this vitamin should be 600 IU.
• For adolescents between the ages of 14 and 18, the appropriate amount of vitamin D for strengthening bones should be 600 IU.
• As for adults from 19 to 70 years old, including pregnant and breastfeeding women, should have a level of 600 IU.
• When people over 71, they should have a vitamin D level of 800 IU.

Which people can suffer the most from vitamin D deficiency?

1. Babies who are breastfed

Babies who are breastfed are one of the groups most affected by a possible vitamin D deficiency.

Breast milk usually do not provide a sufficient amount of vitamin D. For this reason, you should give your child a food supplement of 400 IU once a day.

2. Elderly or dark-skinned people

Over time, older people’s skin does not produce as much vitamin D when it receives sunlight. In addition, the kidney capacity that is used to convert vitamin D into its active form is lower.

On the other hand, the complexion of people with dark skin also produces less vitamin D with the sun.

3. People suffering from obesity, kidney or liver problems

In the case of obese people, body fat combines with vitamins which prevent them from entering the blood stream.

In addition, people with chronic kidney or liver disease may have problems absorbing this vitamin properly.

4. People who take certain medications

Likewise, some medical treatments can affect metabolism and vitamin D deficiency.

• Among the drugs that can hinder the absorption of vitamin D, we can mention anticonvulsant and antifungal drugs.
• Likewise, HIV antiretroviral therapy can also interfere with vitamin D uptake. Therefore, some supplements may be needed to get adequate levels.

Now that you know what vitamin D is for, try to get it daily through its different sources to take full care of your health.

The problem is, not everyone can get vitamin D at adequate levels. For this reason certain symptoms and health problems may appear. These disorders tend to worsen when vitamin D deficiency is not treated promptly.