Can there be a vitamin D deficiency in the summer?
To keep Vitamin D levels normal, you need to regularly bask in the sun for 15 to 30 minutes during the daytime, all year round, twice a week. Remember that in cloudy weather or in the shade, UV rays only partially pass through, and practically do not pass through glass and sunscreen with a protection factor of 8SPF.
Vitamin D, which your body needs so much, has a half-life of 15 days. This means that you cannot get it with interest for the whole year in the summer or during vacation. After a long winter, most people in Russia are deficient in vitamin D. The situation is this: your body has been deficient in vitamin D for 6 months (autumn and winter). Such a deficiency cannot be replenished in a few sunny days. That is why there can be a shortage even in the middle of summer.
Vitamin D is fat soluble. If you have intestinal diseases associated with poor absorption of fatty foods, or are overweight, this may cause an increased need for vitamin D. Of course, obesity in itself does not affect the skin’s ability to synthesize vitamin D. The pattern is this: the more subcutaneous fat , the more it captures vitamin D and reduces its entry into the blood.
You can check your vitamin D level tomorrow. Place your order on the website now with a 50% discount. If the results of the tests reveal that you have a deficiency or insufficiency of vitamin D, then according to the recommendations presented in the clinical guidelines “Vitamin D deficiency in adults: diagnosis, treatment and prevention”, treatment can last more than 2 months with increased doses of drugs containing vitamin D. This way you can raise and maintain it normal.
Vitamin D Rich Foods
Among foods rich in vitamin D, fish is the leader. Calciferol is also found in whole milk and products made from it (cheese, butter), but in smaller quantities and in a form that is difficult to digest.
The main source of vitamin D is fish oil. 100 g of product contains 250 mcg of calciferol. This is 2500% of the daily requirement required by an adult.
The following is a list of dishes that contain vitamin D. The amount of calciferol in 100 g of product as a percentage of the daily intake is indicated in parentheses:
- Cod liver (1000%).
- Fatty herring (300%).
- Chum salmon (163%).
- Atlantic salmon (110%).
- Pink salmon (109%).
- Black caviar (80%).
- Egg yolk (77%).
- Tuna (57%).
- Chanterelle mushrooms – (53%).
As you can see, among the first are different varieties of fish. It contains more vitamin D than eggs or mushrooms. Therefore, housewives are recommended to cook fish dishes for their family more often. This way, both children and adults will receive the required amount of calciferol.
Below is a summary table of foods that contain vitamin D:
| Products | μg/100 g of product | Daily value for an adult, % |
| Fish: | ||
| Fish oil (from cod liver) | 250 | 2500 |
| Chum salmon | 16.3 | 163 |
| Mackerel | 16.1 | 161 |
| Milk products: | ||
| Butter | 1.5 | 13 |
| Ghee | 1.8 | 18 |
| Goat milk | 1.3 | 13 |
| Cheddar cheese | 1 | 10 |
| Swiss cheese | 1 | 10 |
| Processed cheese "Russian" | 0.74 | 7 |
| Eggs: | ||
| Egg yolk | 7.7 | 77 |
| Whole chicken egg | 2.2 | 22 |
| Quail egg | 1.4 | 14 |
| Mushrooms: | ||
| Chanterelles | 5.3 | 53 |
| Morels | 5.1 | 51 |
What happens in the body when there is a lack of vitamin D?
The main symptoms of vitamin D deficiency are:
- Bad mood;
- prostration;
- discomfort in bones and muscles;
- decreased visual acuity;
- increased sweating;
- frequent colds and acute respiratory viral infections.
The World Health Organization has initiated studies that confirm an increased risk of cancer of the breast, colon, prostate, endometrium, ovary, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, bladder, kidney due to vitamin D deficiency. Symptoms of deficiency are not obvious, the likelihood of deficiency is high, and the consequences could be significant.
The main task of vitamin D is to help absorb calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, which prevents bone softening. When there is a lack or deficiency of vitamin D, most of the calcium and phosphorus that the body gets from food or supplements is not absorbed, which can lead to brittle and soft bones.
Vitamin D affects the renewal of bone tissue. When calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium from food and supplements are not absorbed to maintain proper levels in the blood, the body begins to release calcium from the bones into the blood. Simply put, the body begins to sacrifice bones. In young people, the limbs are most often affected, and in older people, the spine is most often affected. This creates the risk of fractures. The approximate period for bone tissue renewal is 10 years. This means that if you are currently deficient in vitamin D, you may not feel its effects on your bones for several years.
When you take a calcium level test, the results may be normal. However, the process of softening the bones may already be underway. Chronic vitamin D deficiency can lead to the development of osteoporosis. A study by the British Medical Association demonstrated that normalizing vitamin D levels reduced the number of fractures of all locations by 22%, and fractures of the hip, wrist, forearm or vertebrae by 33%.
Key functions of vitamin D
Vitamin D (calciferol)
– two substances similar in structure and action: vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (colecalciferol or cholecalciferol).
Under the influence of sunlight, vitamin D3 is synthesized in the skin from provitamins (from food and synthesis from cholesterol). In the body, from these two forms (D2, D3), the active product of their transformation, calcitriol, is formed and used. It is formed in two stages: first in the liver and then in the kidneys.
The history of the discovery of vitamin D is associated with the study of retinol, or vitamin A. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was discovered that fish oil is rich in retinol. As an experiment, fish oil was given to dogs. After some time, scientists noticed that the animals stopped suffering from rickets, which was one of the main problems in pediatrics at that time.
Experts tried to link rickets with vitamin A deficiency, but Elmer McCollum, who discovered retinol, refuted this hypothesis. He conducted his experiments with dogs suffering from rickets: for some time, McCollum gave them fish oil with neutralized retinol. This prompted the scientist to think that the cure comes from some other substance, which is also contained in fish oil. This is how vitamin D was discovered at the beginning of the 20th century.
About a year later, scientists discovered that if food is exposed to ultraviolet light, the amount of vitamin D in it increases. Thus, it was established that the sun is the source of this valuable element.
Main functions of vitamin D
:
- Promotes normal skeletal formation.
- Ensures the exchange of calcium and phosphorus in the body.
- Promotes muscle tone.
- Increases immunity.
- Necessary for the functioning of the thyroid gland and normal blood clotting.
- Helps the body restore the protective membranes surrounding the nerves.
- Participates in the regulation of blood pressure and heartbeat.
- The connection between vitamin D deficiency and autoimmune diseases and cancer is suspected and actively studied.
Groups at risk of vitamin D deficiency
According to the results of a study by the Federal State Budgetary Institution “Federal Research Center for Nutrition and Biotechnology,” up to 97% of Russians experience vitamin D deficiency, depending on the region and health status
Russia is not the sunniest country. Most regions, for example, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, have a relatively small number of sunny days. This prevents your skin from getting the right amount of sunlight to produce the required amount of vitamin D.
You can only get 20-30% of your daily requirement for vitamin D from your daily diet. Additionally, the risk of deficiency becomes even more likely if you are allergic to milk or fish, lactose intolerant, or if you are a vegetarian.
There are five main risk groups for vitamin D deficiency.
1. Office workers and people who spend most of the day indoors.
This category of people is not exposed to the sun most of the day, which means that the skin cannot produce vitamin D in the amount necessary to maintain vitamin D levels of at least 30 ng/ml. In addition, many companies have a dress code - arms and legs are covered and even on sunny days the light does not fall on them. If you spend most of your sunny days indoors, you might want to check your vitamin D levels.
Get tested and bring the results to the endocrinologist. If necessary, he will prescribe treatment for you.
You can take a set of tests for vitamin D and calcium deficiency with a 50% discount. The analysis will be ready within 1 day. You will receive the results by email as soon as they are ready.
2. Overweight people.
As we have already said, most of the population has insufficient levels of vitamin D, and overweight people require 2-3 times more to maintain normal levels. This is due to the fact that vitamin D is fat soluble and can be stored in those fat deposits instead of performing its functions. It’s easy to conclude that overweight people should pay attention to their vitamin D levels. By learning about vitamin D deficiency and correcting it to normal, a person will not immediately become slim, but will avoid brittle bones, muscle weakness, calcium deficiency and other consequences.
More and more studies show that vitamin D can play a role in the prevention and treatment of diabetes mellitus types 1 and 2, impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance, acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections, inflammatory bowel diseases and other pathologies.
3. People over 50 years old.
With age, the production of vitamin D by the skin decreases and the absorption of fat in the intestines deteriorates (we remind you that vitamin D is fat-soluble).
Studies have confirmed that increasing vitamin D to normal levels leads to a significant reduction in falls and fractures in older adults. For example, people over 65 fell 72% less often after 5 months of treatment for vitamin D deficiency. This is because muscle weakness due to insufficient vitamin D levels leads to imbalance.
The manifestation of a long-term lack of vitamin D is the possible development of osteoporosis. For a patient with osteoporosis, even minor injuries can result in a fracture. Osteoporosis is most often associated with insufficient calcium intake, but insufficient vitamin D contributes to osteoporosis by reducing the absorption (absorption) of calcium. If vitamin D levels are normal, bone strength is maintained. This greatly helps prevent osteoporosis in older people.
It is important to note that in the presence of an osteoporotic fracture, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency can be as high as 100%.
Don’t wait for your parents and grandparents to be prescribed a set of vitamin D and calcium tests by your therapist. Add them as patients in your personal account and order an analysis for them. You can order an analysis even if they are located in another city. Your family will only have to come to the medical center of your choice and take a comprehensive test for vitamin D and calcium deficiency.
4. Women during menopause and postmenopause.
Healthy bone is constantly being remodeled. During menopause, the balance between these processes changes. As a result of this imbalance, the bones lose more calcium, phosphorus and magnesium than they absorb. Therefore, the usual lifestyle, within which there was enough vitamin D to maintain the necessary balance of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium, may require changes. At the same time, in Russia, 74-83.2% of postmenopausal women have a vitamin D level of less than 30 ng/ml (insufficient level).
As we have already said, long-term vitamin D deficiency can lead to the development of osteoporosis. Hormone therapy with estrogen and progesterone may slow the onset of osteoporosis. Several medical groups and professional societies support the use of HRT (hormone replacement therapy) as an option for women who are at increased risk of osteoporosis or fractures. Every woman should discuss this issue with her doctor.
One study found a 60% reduction in overall cancer risk among 1,179 healthy postmenopausal women treated with vitamin D and calcium compared with placebo over a 4-year follow-up period. Optimal levels of 25(OH)D in serum for the prevention of cancer, according to research, are 40-60 ng/ml (100-150 nmol/l).
5. Pregnant women and those who are thinking about becoming a mother.
In a study, Belgian scientists found that 86% of pregnant women had vitamin D levels below the normal level of 30 ng/ml. It is also known that the level of vitamin D of mother and child is directly related and has a high degree of dependence.
In the first and second trimesters, most of the organs and systems of the body are formed and formed in the fetus. In the third trimester, skeletal calcification begins, which significantly increases the need for calcium. And calcium, as you and I already know, is better absorbed when the level of vitamin D in the blood is normal. Therefore, women during pregnancy and breastfeeding are recommended to maintain the level of D 25-OH in the blood more than 30 ng/ml. It is not necessary to give vitamin D to infants without a doctor's prescription - it is enough for the mother to maintain it at normal levels.
Most multivitamins for pregnant and breastfeeding women contain less vitamin D (0-500 IU, average 305 IU) and calcium (0-200 mg, average 80 mg) than needed. Some experts recommend that pregnant and breastfeeding women take at least 800-1000 IU of vitamin D per day as a preventive measure, of course, discussing the dosage with your doctor. If a deficiency is detected, the dosage may be significantly higher (1500-4000 IU/day).
Rules for taking vitamin D
Most domestic doctors recommend replenishing the deficiency of this valuable vitamin by taking it in doses of 400-800 IU. But this is too low a dosage, which is unlikely to have a noticeable effect. Even 5000 IU (a preventive dose of vitamin D for residents of the Northern regions) is not enough: it only allows you to reach the lower limit of the norm.
The optimal dosage for those suffering from hypovitaminosis D with an indicator of 20-40 ng is 10,000 IU daily for two to three months. This is an amount of substance approximately equal to that which would be produced by the human body under UV rays in 20-30 minutes (without SPF creams, of course). After a two to three month course, they are tested again, and if the vitamin level is restored, they switch to a lower dose - 4000-5000 IU (maintenance).
If the 25-OH analysis showed a result of 1-20 ng, then you need to take 20,000 IU of vitamin D every day, and then, within a month, 7,000-10,000 units. This is followed by monitoring, and if the dynamics are positive, the vitamin level is maintained with a prophylactic dose of 5000 IU, regardless of the time of year.
If the test results are above 40 ng, you need to take 7000 IU daily for one to one and a half months, and then maintain the vitamin level with a dose of 5000 units.
There are also higher dosages. They are prescribed, in particular, for tuberculosis and autoimmune diseases. Patients should take 30,000-40,000 IU per day for a long period (of course, under the supervision of a doctor).
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In general, correcting the situation with a lack of vitamin D in the body in 90% of cases turns out to be quite difficult. This vitamin is by no means harmless: long-term use of ultra-high doses (more than 40,000 units) is fraught with toxic effects and overdose. For people who have genetic mutations of VDR (genetic polymorphism of the receptors of this vitamin, which are present in almost every cell of the body), even such gigantic doses do not help to at least minimally improve the level of D. They have to take it in the form of injections. The same applies to people with gastrointestinal diseases.
Problems such as lack of cofactors, excess body weight, problems with intestinal flora, gall bladder, kidneys and liver slow down the treatment process. Pathogenic microorganisms also have an inhibitory effect:
- HIV. This virus binds to VDR(R) receptors and prevents them from converting vitamin D from food into the active form of D.
- Live Borrelia. Lyme/Borrelia reduces monocyte VDR by 50-fold.
- Epstein-Barr virus, or herpesvirus, reduces VDR by almost five times.
- Koch's bacillus and other mycobacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex that cause tuberculosis. The sensitivity of the receptors decreases by 3.3 times.
- Cytomegalovirus (CMV) reduces VDR by 2.2 times.
- Acpergillus fumigus, often associated with cystic fibrosis.
- Helicobacter pylori.
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pseudomonasaeruginosa).
Vitamin D receptors can be activated with the help of gamma-tocotrienols, Omega-3, Resveratrol, curcumin. These drugs work even with VDR mutations.
How to Monitor Vitamin D Levels
The 25-OH vitamin D test is the best way to monitor vitamin D. It reflects the amount of the vitamin your skin produces and what you get from food and supplements. Once you receive the test result, you can compare it with the recommended standards and decide whether to take supplements or not. If Vitamin D is normal, you will know that it is worth maintaining your normal lifestyle.
The norm of vitamin D 25-OH is determined by the Russian Association of Endocrinologists. The following indicators are distinguished:
- less than 20 ng/ml - deficiency
- less than 30 ng/ml - insufficiency
- from 30 to 100 ng/ml is an adequate level.
Residents of big cities lack sun at any time of the year.
| Interpretation of 25(OH)D concentrations accepted by the Russian Association of Endocrinologists | ||
| Classification | Blood 25(OH)D level ng/ml (n/mol/l) | Clinical manifestations |
| Severe vitamin D deficiency | <10 ng/ml (<25 n/mol/l) | Increased risk of rickets, osteomalacia, secondary hyperparathyroidism, myopathy, falls and fractures |
| Vitamin D deficiency | <20 ng/ml (<50 n/mol/l) | Increased bone loss, secondary hyperparathyroidism, falls and fractures |
| Vitamin D deficiency | ≥20 and <30 ng/ml (≥50 and <75 nmol/l) | Low risk of bone loss and secondary hyperparathyroidism, neutral effect on falls and fractures |
| Adequate Vitamin D Levels | ≥30 and <30 ng/ml* (≥75 nmol/l) | Optimal suppression of parathyroid hormone and bone loss, reducing falls and fractures by 20% |
| Levels with Possible Vitamin D Toxicity | >150 ng/ml (>375 nmol/l) | Hypercalcemia, hypercalciuria, nephrocalcinosis, calciphylaxis |
Doctors recommend including sources of vitamin D in your diet or taking supplements. Most vitamin D is found in foods such as fatty fish and fish oil. It is also found in beef liver, cheese, egg yolks and some mushrooms.
You should also be in the sun regularly, but remember, it can be harmful due to UV rays.
| Sources of vitamin D in food | |
| Natural food sources | ME vitamin D (D2 or D3) |
| Wild salmon | 600–1000 ME per 100g |
| Farm raised salmon | 100–250 ME per 100g |
| Herring | 294–1676 ME per 100g |
| Som | 500 ME per 100g |
| Canned sardines | 300–600 ME per 100g |
| Canned mackerel | 250 ME per 100g |
| Canned tuna | 236 ME per 100g |
| Fish fat | 400–1000 IU per 1 tablespoon |
| UV irradiated mushrooms | 446 ME per 100g |
| Mushrooms not irradiated with UV | 10–100 IU per 100g |
| Butter | 52 ME per 100g |
| Milk fortified with vitamin d | 2 ME per 100g |
| Sour cream | 80–100 ME per 100g |
| Egg yolk | 52 ME per 100g |
| Cheese | 2 ME per 100g |
| Beef liver | 44 ME per 100g |
Main types of vitamin D
Vitamins of group D (C27H44O3) are biologically active substances. According to their structure they are classified as sterols.
The group includes the following elements:
- D1
Chemical Formula: C56H88O2
Consists of two components: lumisterol and ergocalciferol. It is produced artificially. Does not play a significant role for humans and medicine.
- D 2
(ergocalciferol)
Chemical formula: C28H44O
A person can receive this element only through food. Also found in dietary supplements. Regulates the exchange of calcium and phosphorus in the body.
- D3
(cholecalciferol or colecalciferol)
Chemical formula: C27H44O
Of the entire group, this is the most active substance. Its sources for humans are food (fish, caviar, butter, cheese, chanterelle mushrooms) and sunlight
. Even five minutes of direct sunlight can be enough for the body to produce its daily requirement of vitamin D3.
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- D4
(dehydrocholesterol)
Chemical formula: C28H46O
Contained in the skin. Under the influence of ultraviolet rays it turns into D3 in the epidermis.
- D5
(sitocalciferol)
Chemical formula: C29H48O
This is a synthetic analogue of vitamin D3, first produced in Chicago. Virtually non-toxic. Used in the treatment of cancer. It was found in nature in wheat oil.
- D6
(stigmacalciferol)
Chemical formula: C29H46O
The element is still being studied by specialists. It was synthesized from plants.
Vitamin D increased: what to do
High levels of vitamin D can lead to anorexia, weight loss, increased urine output, and cardiac arrhythmia. Remember that vitamin D can increase blood calcium levels. This will lead to calcification of blood vessels and tissues. This can cause damage to the heart, blood vessels and kidneys. Therefore, during the period of taking additional vitamin D, we recommend getting tested at least once every 6 months.
It is recommended to check your vitamin D level before starting its correction and after treatment. This will allow you to monitor changes in levels over time and evaluate the effectiveness of treatment. At Lab4U you can take a comprehensive test for vitamin D and calcium deficiency with a 50% discount . You will receive the results by email. They will also be available in your personal account. Now it is very easy to observe the dynamics of changes in the body’s indicator.
According to research by the Russian Association of Endocrinologists, an excess is only possible with an overdose of vitamin D - consumed in doses exceeding those recommended by the attending physician.
When to Monitor Vitamin D Levels
Bend your finger if you:
- use sunscreen regularly
- have problems with the intestines or liver
- over 50 years old
- experience joint pain or muscle weakness
- observe signs of calcium deficiency in the body
- taking Vitamin D or calcium supplements
- are overweight
If you have bent 2 or more fingers, we recommend taking a set of tests for vitamin D and calcium deficiency. It doesn't hurt, it's very simple and quick.
Interaction with other elements
The human body is a very complex system in which all elements are in constant interaction. And the health and general well-being of a person directly depends on how coordinated their work is. The effectiveness of vitamins can be enhanced by “helper molecules,” or cofactors. These are small compounds that are involved in biochemical processes. The most significant cofactors that enhance the effect of vitamin D include:
- Calcium
. As already mentioned, vitamin D controls calcium levels in the body. The mineral is well absorbed only with a sufficient amount of calcitriol. Therefore, these two substances are inextricably linked with each other.
- Magnesium
. This element performs many functions. For example, it is needed to convert food into energy. Magnesium is also involved in the absorption of calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium and vitamin D. Magnesium deficiency can be corrected not only with supplements, but also by including foods such as spinach, nuts, seeds, and whole grains in the diet.
- Vitamin K
. This element is responsible for bone health and also increases blood clotting, so it is simply necessary for the human body. If it is not there, people will begin to die from the slightest injury. Vitamins D and K work together when it comes to proper skeletal development. You can replenish your vitamin K reserves with foods such as kale, spinach, liver, eggs and hard cheese.
- Zinc
. Multifunctional element. With its participation, the body grows and develops, new cells are formed in it, infections are fought and fats, carbohydrates and proteins are fully absorbed. Zinc also facilitates the absorption of vitamin D and helps calcium enter bone tissue. A person can get this element through meat, vegetables and some grains.
- Bor
. A person needs very little of this substance, but it is still irreplaceable. Boron is involved in the metabolism and absorption of vitamin D. It is found in peanut butter, wine, avocado, raisins and some leafy vegetables.
- Vitamin A
. Controls protein synthesis. Together with vitamin D, it participates in the functioning of the genetic code. If a person lacks retinol, the functionality of vitamin D will be impaired. Vitamin A is found in carrots, mangoes, liver, butter, cheese and milk. Retinol is a fat-soluble substance and a powerful antioxidant. If it enters the body from plant foods, then it should be combined with fat-containing foods. This way retinol will be better absorbed.
Why you need a comprehensive vitamin D test
Even if you take the Vitamin D25-OH test, you will not see the full picture of the vitamin’s effect on the body. Conversely, if you determine what level of calcium, phosphorus or magnesium you have in your body, you will need to find out the possible reasons for these levels. This will allow you to prescribe the most effective treatment.
Therefore, medical experts of the online laboratory Lab4U have developed a special complex - Examination for vitamin D and calcium deficiency. It will allow you to comprehensively study the effect of vitamin D on phosphorus-calcium metabolism and the body as a whole, as well as prevent possible negative consequences of a lack or excess of vitamin D.
Get tested and bring the results to your doctor. If necessary, he will prescribe treatment for you.
You can take a complex test for vitamin D and calcium deficiency with a 50% discount. The analysis will be ready within 1 day. You will receive the results by email as soon as they are ready.
