Vitamin D is an essential vitamin for balancing calcium and phosphorus in the body, helping to prevent osteoporosis, as well as strengthening the immune system, preventing diabetes and maintaining heart health.
Vitamin D is produced in the body in the form of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), through exposure to sunlight, but it can also be obtained by consuming foods of animal origin, such as fish and eggs. In the form of vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol), this vitamin is present in supplements, fortified foods and some vegetables and fungi.
Vitamin D deficiency can cause osteomalacia and osteoporosis in adults, and rickets in children. Excess of this vitamin in the body can cause lack of appetite, abdominal pain, high blood pressure and muscle weakness.
Learn more about vitamin D in the following video:
What is it for
The main functions of vitamin D in the body are:
1. Avoid osteoporosis
Vitamin D increases the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in the intestine and facilitates the entry of these minerals into the bones, which are essential for preventing situations such as fractures, bone pain and osteoporosis.
2. Prevent diabetes
Vitamin D helps prevent type 2 diabetes, because it acts in the production of insulin, the hormone that regulates blood glucose levels.
This happens because vitamin D increases, within the cells that produce insulin, the amount of calcium, which is an essential mineral for the secretion of this hormone.
3. Strengthen the immune system
By improving the functions of defense cells such as monocytes, macrophages and lymphocytes, vitamin D helps to strengthen the immune system, preventing diseases such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and lupus.
4. Maintain heart health
Vitamin D maintains heart health, as it acts to contract and relax the muscles of this organ and inhibits renin, an enzyme that, when in excess, increases blood pressure.
5. Strengthen your muscles
Vitamin D strengthens muscles, because it regulates contraction and relaxation and participates in muscle formation, improving strength and balance, thus preventing falls and injuries.
6. Maintain skin health
Vitamin D is responsible for regulating the production of keratinocytes, which are the cells responsible for protecting and hydrating the dermis and epidermis, maintaining skin health.
Difference Between Vitamin D3 and D2
Vitamin D3 is produced in the body through exposure to sunlight. Furthermore, this vitamin is also found in supplements and foods of animal origin, such as egg yolks, yogurt and milk. Learn more about vitamin D3.
Vitamin D2 is also produced through exposure to sunlight, but can only be found in some vegetables and fungi, such as mushrooms and yeast. This type of vitamin is also present in supplements and fortified foods, such as cereals and soy vegetable drinks.
Recommended quantity
The daily recommendation for vitamin D varies according to age and stage of life. Children up to 12 months need to ingest 10 mcg of vitamin D per day.
Men and women aged 1 to 70 should consume 15 mcg of vitamin D per day. For people aged 70 and over, the daily vitamin D recommendation is 20 mcg.
How to measure vitamin D
To measure vitamin D, an endocrinologist, nutritionist or general practitioner may order a hydroxyvitamin D test, or 25(OH)D, which is a blood test to assess the concentration of vitamin D in the blood. See how the vitamin D test is done.
If you want to measure your vitamin D, make an appointment with an endocrinologist closest to you:
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Normal values
Vitamin D values in the blood are considered normal when they are above 20 ng/mL (50nmol/L) in healthy people up to 60 years of age. People over 60 years of age, pregnant or breastfeeding women, people with kidney failure, osteoporosis, or malabsorption syndromes should have between 30 and 60 ng/mL of vitamin D in their blood.
Vitamin D deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency can be caused by low intake of foods that are sources of this vitamin, little exposure to sunlight or the presence of some situations, such as bariatric surgery, kidney failure and inflammatory bowel disease.
Symptoms that may arise with vitamin D deficiency are hair loss, pain and weakness in muscles and bones, tiredness, osteomalacia and osteoporosis in adults, and rickets in children. Know how to recognize the signs of vitamin D deficiency.
Excess vitamin D
Excess vitamin D usually occurs when taking high doses of supplements and can cause lack of appetite, nausea, constipation, weakness, high blood pressure and cardiac arrhythmia. Learn more about excess vitamin D.
How to increase vitamin D
To increase vitamin D levels in the body, it is recommended to eat foods rich in this vitamin and sunbathe.
1. Eat foods rich in vitamin D
Eating foods rich in vitamin D, such as fish liver oil, seafood and egg yolks and milk, help increase levels of this vitamin in the body. Check out a list of foods rich in vitamin D.
However, the consumption of foods rich in vitamin D is not enough to meet the daily needs of this vitamin and, therefore, it is essential to also sunbathe daily.
2. Sunbathe
The main source of vitamin D is its production in the skin from exposure to sunlight. Therefore, it is recommended that people with fair skin sunbathe daily for 5 to 15 minutes a day, while people with darker skin should spend 30 to 60 minutes exposed to sunlight. Find out how to sunbathe to produce vitamin D.
When to use supplements
Vitamin D supplements are sold in tablets, capsules or drops and can be used to treat vitamin D deficiency or some conditions related to low levels of vitamin D in the blood, such as osteoporosis and rickets.
These supplements range from 400 to 50,000 IU, where the dosage and treatment time vary depending on individual needs. Therefore, vitamin D supplements should only be used under the guidance of a doctor or nutritionist. See how to use vitamin D supplements.
