Do adults need vitamin D supplements?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is advised by Master, Doctor Nguyen Thi Nhat - Infectious Diseases - Department of Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital
Vitamin D plays a very important role in the development of the body. However, most of us just assume that children need vitamin D supplements. In fact, adults need vitamin D supplements too.

1. What is Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble secosteroids, whose main function is to enhance the intestinal absorption of calcium and phosphate.
Vitamin D consists of many structures, however vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) are the two main physiological structures.
Vitamin D can be supplemented with food, but they actually contain very little vitamin D.

2. Benefits of Vitamin D

Vitamin D plays an extremely important role for the body such as: Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and phosphorus to form and maintain bones and teeth. Children may become stunted, adults are susceptible to osteomalacia, osteoporosis if not adequate vitamin D supplementation. Vitamin D deficiency can cause a number of other diseases such as diabetes, breast cancer, colon cancer. , prostate... Vitamin D also plays an important role in regulating the homeostasis of calcium and phosphorus in the body. Vitamin D is often used to treat a number of diseases such as psoriasis, osteoporosis, renal osteoporosis... Some studies have shown that there is an association between vitamin D deficiency and a number of other diseases. such as: dementia, autism, schizophrenia....To avoid dementia in the elderly, it is very important to ensure that the body fully absorbs vitamin D. Vitamin D helps the body improve balance, prevent some falls, especially for the elderly. Vitamin D prevents vision damage: Adequate absorption of vitamin D helps strengthen the optic nerve, preventing the risk of vision damage. Vitamin D helps prevent migraine headaches or sinus infections because vitamin D has anti-inflammatory effects. Vitamin D deficiency affects the immune system and is the cause of a number of other medical conditions.

3. Do adults need vitamin D supplements?

In fact, most of us know well, children need to be supplemented with vitamin D, so do adults need to supplement or not?
According to recent studies, the need for vitamin D in adults is as follows:
For people <50 years old, it is 600 IU/day. For people > 50 years old. Pregnant or lactating women are 600 IU/day. Through testing the level of 25(OH)D in the blood, it is possible to determine the need for vitamin D in the body to ensure that the body is not deficient.
Vitamin D deficiency in adults can lead to osteoporosis, diabetes, cancer and a number of other diseases such as heart disease, arthritis....
Besides, vitamin D is also especially important for with neurological function.

4. How to supplement vitamin D?

Vitamin D plays a very important role in the body. We can supplement vitamin D through a number of measures as follows:
Vitamin D supplements through food: a diet full and varied food sources, some foods rich in vitamin D such as: fish, fish oil, egg yolks, milk, flour, cooking oil, cereals... Fish like mackerel, herring and tuna are excellent sources of vitamin D. Besides, some mushrooms, seafood are also foods rich in vitamin D, which is necessary for the body. Absorption of vitamin D through exposure to sunlight: in fact, we only get small amounts. vitamin D from our daily diet, most of our bodies absorb vitamin D from exposure to sunlight. However, you should only sunbathe in the morning (before 8am), at this time the light is not too harsh, avoid direct sunlight on the head, the sunbathing time is only about 15-20 minutes a day. Take vitamin D3 supplements as directed: You can get vitamin D by taking vitamin D3 under the direction of your doctor. In order for the body to absorb vitamin D most effectively, vitamin D3 should be taken after meals, which can be taken with or without food. Based on your health status, age, amount of sunlight you absorb each day and response to treatment, your doctor will prescribe an appropriate dose of vitamin D for each subject. Absorption of vitamin D may be affected if you take certain other medicines with it such as mineral oil, colestipol... Therefore you should take this medicine away from vitamin D, should be taken at least 2 hours or more longer before supplementing with vitamin D3. If you're taking other medications, it's best to take a vitamin D3 supplement before bed. For best results, you need to take vitamin D3 on a regular basis. A special diet such as a calcium-rich diet can help your body absorb vitamin D effectively from vitamin D3 supplements, while also preventing serious side effects from the medication. Vitamin D plays an important role in the body, but we should not use too much because it can cause certain harmful effects. You can be poisoned by an excess of vitamin D in your body if you take high doses of vitamin D for a long time. This causes hypercalcemia, leading to the appearance of a variety of symptoms such as cramps, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting....
Abuse of vitamin D puts the body at risk of poisoning, causing some conditions such as fatigue, weight loss, kidney failure...have a high risk of leading to death.
Vitamin D is very necessary for the body, however, we should only supplement vitamin D in a reasonable manner to avoid unfortunate consequences. The best vitamin D supplements should be under the direction of a specialist.

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