Vitamin D is a beneficial element for the body. If it is deficient, various reactions occur including bone problems. Vitamin D deficiency can be overcome by following the rules and living a healthy lifestyle. However, some people need to take vitamin D as medicine.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University’s hormone and diabetes expert Endocrinology Department Assistant Professor Dr. Shahzada Salim.
Recently there is also considerable research on vitamin D levels during pregnancy. However, the problem of vitamin D deficiency and deficiency in children and adolescents has not yet been widely discussed, although the topic is of great importance.
Calcium is one of the raw materials for building the body structure of growing children – which is largely regulated by vitamin D in the body. Children’s physical growth, physical obesity are all closely related to vitamin D.
Vitamin D deficiency may be a major factor behind the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes in young children and adolescents in many countries, including Bangladesh. Vitamin D deficiency may also increase the risk of certain cancers.
Although it sounds like a vitamin by name, vitamin D is actually a steroid hormone. While other vitamins act as antioxidants or co-enzymes, vitamin D (steroid hormone) regulates gene expression, i.e. plays a role as a regulator of protein production in the body.
Vitamin D is produced in the body by converting animal and plant sterols and phytosterols by ultraviolet rays of sunlight. Vitamin D-2 and Vitamin D-3 are present in the human body.
Vitamin D measurement
Vitamin D levels are measured in blood serum. When a hormone specialist or other physician suspects a vitamin D deficiency in a patient, he will take the initiative to measure the vitamin D [25(g)u] in the patient’s blood.
However, blood calcium, parathyroid hormone and phosphorus levels should also be checked to determine vitamin D deficiency and subsequent treatment. According to the level of vitamin D in the patient’s body, he is classified into any of the following groups:
Sources of vitamin D
Attendance (oats)
More than 80 percent of the body’s vitamin D needs are produced by exposure to sunlight on the skin.
Food Ingredients 3.5 oz 600-1000
Salmon Fish 3.5 oz 100-250
Sardines (chopped) 3.5 oz 300
236. Tuna (Cooked) 3.5 oz
Mackerel (Coutajat) 3.5 oz 250
Fresh Mushrooms 3.5 oz 100
Sautéed Mushrooms 3.5 oz 1600
Eggs (boiled) 3.5 oz 20
Sour yogurt 175 grams 58-71
Beef liver (cooked) 75 grams 36
40 Oats are equivalent to 1 microgram of Vitamin D efficacy.
To get vitamin D from sunlight, you need at least 30 minutes of sun exposure each day from March to October (longer in other months) when more than 18 percent of the body is exposed to the sun.
On average, people ages 1-70 need 600 ounces of vitamin D per day, and people over 70 need 800 ounces of vitamin D per day.
Who should take vitamin D as medicine?
* Neonates who are exclusively breastfed and who consume less than 1000 ml of infant formula.
* Children and adolescents living in unplanned urban areas or unhealthy cities (Dhaka is one of them).
* Physically obese children and adolescents with velvety black areas appearing on different parts of the skin.
* Children and adolescents who cover almost the whole body in clothing for religious or other reasons.
* Digestive and metabolic activity is reduced due to problems with the alimentary canal.
* Institutional living (hostel, hospital or office) which reduces exposure to sun.
If the deficiency of vitamin D is very high, 40,000 oats per week and then one vitamin D capsule per month should be consumed. 20,000 oat capsules may be sufficient if the deficiency is low.
Even if you are deficient in vitamin D, you should get all the sunlight regularly. Unfortunately, the presence of vitamin D in the common foods in Bangladesh is very low, still it is necessary to eat foods that contain some amount of vitamin D as regularly as possible.
