As we are in the middle of winter now and daylight hours are short so we think talking about Vitamin D would be very appropriate now(our body produces vitamin with the help of Sunlight).
So please read the article about Vitamin D below.
Is Your
Vitamin D level too low?
Vitamin D occurs naturally in
the body following exposure to UVB sunlight. Normal summer sunshine exposure
should be sufficient for most people to provide adequate levels, however, for
certain groups of people sunlight exposure may not provide adequate levels of
vitamin D.
Due to being at risk of vitamin
D deficiency, the current guidance from the UK Health Departments1 is that daily
vitamin D supplementation should be taken by the following:
all
pregnant and breastfeeding women
breastfed
infants from one month of age if mother did not take vitamin D supplementation
through pregnancy
all
children aged six months to five years old (except those who are receiving more
than 500ml of formula milk, which is fortified with vitamin D)
people
aged 65 and over
people who are not exposed to
much sun, such as those who cover up their skin for cultural reasons or those
who are housebound or confined indoors for long periods.
Other patients at risk of
deficiency2 include:
people
with darker skins such as people of African, African-Caribbean and South Asian
origin
those
with medical conditions that alter how the body handles vitamin D including
those with Crohn’s disease, coeliac disease and certain liver and kidney
diseases
those taking medicines that put
them at risk including carbamazepine, phenytoin, primidone, barbiturates and
some anti-HIV medicines.
Sunscreen
Sunscreens provide important
protection from UV skin damage, however, they reduce the body’s exposure to
sun, which is the body’s main source of vitamin D. The British Association of
Dermatologists (BAD) states3 that there is not a precise level of sun exposure that
safely provides adequate levels of vitamin D because of the number of variables
involved, including individual skin type, geographical location, time of year,
time of day and weather conditions. They advise that once the body has produced
the maximum level of vitamin D, further exposure to sunlight does not increase
production and will result in skin damage. BAD do not advise deliberate exposure
to the sun to increase vitamin D levels.
A “consensus vitamin D position
statement” published in 20104 by BAD along with a number of other health
organisations advises: “The time required to make sufficient vitamin D is
typically short and less that the amount of time needed for the skin to redden
and burn. Regularly going outside for a matter of minutes around the middle of
the day without sunscreen should be enough.”
The organisations advise that little and often is the best
method for sun exposure as well as increasing the amount of skin exposed.
Symptoms of
vitamin D deficiency
Many people have no symptoms.
Low levels of vitamin D (defined by the Department of Health as a plasma
25-hydroxyvitamin D level of less than 25nmol/l) can lead to increased disease
risk. Persistently low levels (below 25nmol/l) are associated with an increased
risk of rickets and osteomalacia . The National Institute for Health and
Clinical Excellence guidance also states that levels below 25nmol/l indicate a
risk of deficiency.
Dietary sources
Dietary sources of vitamin D include oily fish and eggs.
Infant formula milk is fortified with vitamin D, and some manufacturers of
breakfast cereals, dairy products and low-fat spreads add small amounts to
their products5. However,
it is difficult to get adequate levels of vitamin D from diet alone. www.easthillpharmacy.com
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