If you feel tired and weak all the time, this could be a sign of vitamin D deficiency. Hair loss, poor wound healing, weak bones, and increased susceptibility to infections can also be signs of deficiency.
Vitamin D deficiency can also affect mood: especially in the dark season, it can lead to depression.
The human body can absorb vitamin D with sufficient exposure to sunlight. To do this, you must spend between 10 and 20 minutes in the sun each day. Feel free to show some skin, as plenty of free skin helps absorb the sun’s rays.
In winter, vitamin D is difficult to absorb in our latitudes only through sunlight. Therefore, it makes sense to use nutritional supplements during this time. It is best to discuss the correct dosage with your doctor, as an overdose of Vitamin D can be harmful to your health.
Even if the sun comes back again, vitamin D deficiency cannot be treated immediately. If you work a lot indoors, you should also take extra vitamin D during the spring and summer months.
Artificial light is not a substitute for natural sunlight because it contains a lot of UV rays. However, in order to form vitamin D, the body mainly needs UV-B radiation.
Some foods also contain vitamin D. These include oily fish, egg yolks or mushrooms as well as fortified dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese.
However, it is important to note that most foods only contain small amounts of vitamin D. Therefore, it is difficult to get enough vitamin D through diet alone.
Vitamin D deficiency is especially dangerous in old age, when bones are weakening anyway. So the elderly in particular should spend enough time in the sun and take enough walks outdoors. Otherwise, there is a risk of osteoporosis, which increases the risk of fractures.
Pregnant women’s need for vitamin D increases. The best way to cover this is with nutritional supplements.
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