Theoretically, Vitamin D is the easiest nutrient to acquire every day without much effort. All we need to do is to go out in sun at noon for 15 minutes. India being a tropical country is drenched with adequate sunshine and this works in our favour too.
And yet in a surprising study, 80% of Indians are found to be deficient of Vitamin D which is a serious issue. The concerning aspect is that most of us would never know about the deficiency until we are hit with the symptoms. And we aim to change this with our blog today.
In this blog, we are going to help you understand the reason behind the rampant deficiency of Vitamin D in Indians and its symptoms. And then give you 3 simple ways to reverse Vitamin D deficiency. Let us dive in:
Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms:
Vitamin D is a key catalyst for many optimal functioning of many biological processes. Lowered Vitamin D levels in the body itself can trigger plenty of problems in the human body:
- Vitamin D is the key nutrient for the absorption of Calcium. An elder adult loses bone mass at a faster rate without adequate calcium absorption which increases the risk of joint and back pain significantly.
- Vitamin D controls inflammation in the body and accelerates wound healing. Lowered Vitamin D levels can slow down the pace of wound healing which in turn can increase the risk of infection – a serious concern for adults after age 50.
- The role Vitamin D plays in optimal musculoskeletal function makes it a key contributor to energy production as well. So lack of Vitamin D is also closely linked with fatigue & muscle weakness.
- The Vitamin D receptors in the body control the sleep cycle to ensure adequate recovery and rejuvenation. Lack of sufficient Vitamin D may damage the quality of sleep and its duration leading to suboptimal recovery.
The above 4 are the common symptoms of vitamin deficiency which manifest when Vitamin D levels dip in the body. Prolonged deficiency further worsens the symptoms to cause long-term problems in both men and women. This is the reason why depleted Vitamin D levels are the common symptoms in patients with cardiovascular diseases, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and obesity autoimmune disease, and even depression & insomnia.
Vitamin D Deficiency Causes: Indoor lifestyle, lack of nutrition & pollution
When was the last time you went out in the sun for more than 10 minutes? The answer points out the cause of Vitamin D deficiency.
Our entire body contains Vitamin D receptors that convert cholesterol into Vitamin D in the presence of sunlight. Vitamin D, thus received in its most potent form is adequate for our daily needs and yet Vitamin D deficiency is rampant in India. Some of the causes of Vitamin D deficiency causes are:
- Lack of adequate exposure to the sun due to an increased indoor lifestyle is the leading cause of vitamin D deficiency. The current work-from-home has forced us to stay indoors, especially during the mid-day when the sunlight is safe & convenient to produce Vitamin D. Now add this to the adoption of sunscreens which further limit the sunlight, and we are losing us on free vitamin D significantly.
- Even among those who venture outdoors, the rampant pollution stands as a hindrance and hampers Vitamin D production triggered.
- Nutrition that is devoid of Vitamin D foods is another cause of Vitamin D deficiency. Foods that contain moderate levels of Vitamin D are not consumed enough and foods rich in Vitamin D are hard to access in India, leading to wide-spread Vitamin D deficiency.
- Regular consumption of phytates and phosphates in regular foods also offsets the vitamin D levels in people. This further bump up the daily Vitamin d requirements increasing the risk of Vitamin D deficiency in everyone.
While all the above are the factors that lowered Vitamin D levels, the primary cause of vitamin D deficiency is the failure to take adequate steps towards fixing the deficiency.
Vitamin D Deficiency – How to Reverse It?
Reversing Vitamin D deficiency is a 3-part process where each part helps you obtain Vitamin D in three different ways:
Part 1: Adequate sunlight before mid-day:The simplest way to consume Vitamin D is to get adequate sunlight every day. According to extensive research performed on the relation between sunshine & vitamin D production, sunlight between the hours of 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. is found to trigger adequate Vitamin D production year around in India.
So how long does one need to stay in sun for Vitamin D?
According to another study, exposing at least 20% of the body to the sun for 30-45 minutes can trigger up to 100% RDA of Vitamin D, if not more. Practically speaking longevity lets us consider a sweet spot of 10-15 minutes which can gain us at least 40-50% of RDA.
And the rest? Food sources of Vitamin D can be our rescue.
Part 2: Incorporate Vitamin D foods in the diet:Diet is another part of the Vitamin D puzzle that can be solved with simple awareness of vitamin-rich foods. Cod liver oil, salmon, fish, mushroom, egg yolks, cow’s milk, yoghurt, orange juice, oatmeal, kale, and cheese are some of the vitamin D sources that can be added to the diet to improve Vitamin D levels.
Though diet is simple and controllable, it is fairly limited when it comes to Vitamin D. As mentioned earlier, the common Vitamin D sources like egg yolks, orange juice, and oatmeal need to be consumed in larger quantities which may not be possible for everyone. Other sources like salmon fish, mushrooms, and cod liver oil may not be accessible to everyone too.
However, this limitation can be solved by Vitamin D supplements.
Part 3: Multivitamin Supplementation for Vitamin DSupplementation is the simplest of all three parts. Vitamin D supplements offer an effortless, inexpensive and efficient solution to vitamin d deficiency problems.
So what type of vitamin supplements to choose?
Vitamin D is a powerful catalyst that works best when taken with other nutrients. For example:
- Magnesium is needed to activate Vitamin D and move it around the body to gain its benefits.
- Vitamin D supplementation must always be accompanied by Calcium to improve bone mass and health.
- Vitamin K is essential to enhance the body’s ability to use calcium and vitamin D for improved bone health.
Not only the above, zinc, phosphorous, copper and all the other minerals work together also work together to improve the function of vitamin D in the body. So it is always recommended to choose an all-around multivitamin blend to supplement vitamin D – like Ridomaxx.
Ridomaxx – Best Multivitamin Supplement for Vitamin D Supplementation:
Made with clean ingredients for high bioavailability Ridomaxx is also loaded with Vitamin D to adequately fill your daily requirement. But what makes Ridomaxx better is its powerful blend of nutrients that power Vitamin D absorption.
With 23+ vitamins, minerals and trace elements, Ridomaxx offers a powerful combination of nutrients that work together with Vitamin D to enhance its benefit.
Even better, Ridomaxx now comes customized for both men and women to cater to their specific multivitamin requirements.
You can now order multivitamins for men here and women here.
References:https://journals.lww.com/jfmpc/pages/default.aspx
