When was the last time you waited for few minutes while your skin soaked in the sunlight at dawn.

Are you always hungry? Do you get serious and frequent shifts in mood? Are you facing anxiety issues? Have you put on extra belly fat?

If yes to all the above, then your body might be deficient in Vitamin-D.

Vitamin D – the ‘sunshine vitamin’ is one of the most essential nutrients needed for many vital processes. It plays a great role in the development & maintenance of strong bones & teeth, promoting a strong immune system – and thus, helping one to gain resistance against many diseases.

Sadly, Vitamin D deficiency is widespread worldwide with approximately 70% to 90% of the population in the Indian subcontinent being deficient in Vitamin D. The probable causes for the deficiency are: little to no exposure to the sun-light – this is true especially if you are spending a large number of hours indoors, or living in northern latitudes, or during the winter months when the sunlight is inadequate.

You’re at a risk of deficiency also while adhering strictly to a certain type of diet that is low/devoid of Vitamin D. Other reasons may be – when your kidneys are unable to convert Vitamin D in its active form, or when your intestinal tract cannot absorb Vitamin D, or when you are obese.

Today expert Dr. Amtul Haseeba (MBBS), General Physician talks about how much Vitamin D do we need, and ways to boost our Vitamin D levels.

Vitamin D is made in the human body with the help of sunlight. We can also get some Vitamin D from a few dietary sources like fish, liver, egg yolk, spinach, soybeans, oatmeal. From a daily requirement perspective, we need 600 IU of Vitamin D every day. Elderly people over the age of 70 need 800 IU per day.

Vitamin D helps in the absorption of calcium in the body and is essential for the good health of bones and muscles. Without Vitamin D, the bones and muscles tend to grow weak and, in some cases, this can further lead to deformities.

How do we boost Vitamin D levels in our bodies?
First of all, it is important to know what our Vitamin D levels are. Speak to your doctor and they will guide you on checking your Vitamin D and serum calcium levels. If these levels are low, one can take prescription supplements to increase the levels. Remember, please speak to your doctor before starting any supplements.

Here are 4 ways to Boost your Vitamin D:

Importance of Sunlight
We can also spend some more time exposed to the morning sun. This is one of the ways to naturally boost Vitamin D levels. As mentioned before, the UV rays in sunlight are responsible for converting the precursors of Vitamin D in the skin to active Vitamin D.

Healthy Nutrition Diet
A diet rich in fish, egg yolk, dairy, mushrooms, spinach helps to improve Vitamin D levels.

UV Lamps
In some medical conditions, where people may not be able to absorb Vitamin D from diet or supplements, doctors may advise injections or to use UV lamps to increase the levels of Vitamin D.

Vitamin D Supplement
For many people, taking a Vitamin D supplement may be the best way to ensure adequate intake. Vitamin D exists in two main biological forms — D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol). Typically, D2 comes from plants and D3 from animals. Research suggests that D3 may be significantly more effective at raising and maintaining overall Vitamin D levels than D2, so look for a supplement with this form only on Dhani Pharmacy.

These are a few ways in which we can ensure that our Vitamin D levels remain optimum so that our bones and muscles remain healthy.

There are certain signs & symptoms that indicate Vitamin D deficiency like contracting infections/falling sick quite often, fatigue, tiredness, bone & back pain, muscle ache, bone loss, anxiety & depression, severe hair loss to name a few.

In case of any above indications, get connected to a Dhani Doctor in just 10 seconds & we’ll ensure that your health is in the right hands. On the Dhani doctor platform you can speak to any of our doctors who will be able to help you with your health concerns. Dhani doctors are available 24×7. Download today to try FREE consultations for 30 days.

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