Vitamin D not only helps the body absorb calcium is important for bone, but also play a role in the immune system by helping reduce inflammation. Suspected chronic inflammation can lead to heart disease and cancer. Here are some of the dangerous diseases caused by vitamin D deficiency include:
1. diabetes
A study in 2011 and found that obese children who have low vitamin D levels are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes as adults. Whereas in adults who have low vitamin D levels, the likelihood of type 2 diabetes rose to 57 percent.
2. cancer
A study published in the British Medical Journal showed that people in her blood contained a lot of vitamin D had 40 percent lower risk of developing colon cancer compared with people who have low levels of vitamins.
3. multiple sclerosis
The researchers also said there is a relationship between vitamin D deficiency with multiple sclerosis, inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. Multiple sclerosis is most common in people who live far from the equator and just a little exposure to sunlight.
4. rheumatoid arthritis
Vitamin D deficiency is also associated with rheumatoid arthritis or arthritis. In a study conducted in January 2012, among the babies who died suddenly, at 75 per cent were found to be deficient in vitamin D.
How to get your intake of sunlight?
Sunlight provides 90 percent of vitamin D the body needs. When the heat and ultraviolet light touches the skin, the production of vitamin D is activated. In food, the main natural sources are liver and fish oil. Eggs contain small amounts of vitamin D, as well as some foods such as cereals, fresh fruit juices and yogurt fortified with vitamin D.
"A serving of fortified foods only provide nearly 20 percent of the daily requirement of vitamin D. It is difficult to get all of their vitamin D from food alone," said Catherine Collins, a dietician at St Georges Hospital.
Many people avoid going out without wearing sunscreen and then end up with a deficiency of vitamin D. Research has found that people who were diagnosed with malignant melanoma, the most severe form of skin cancer, are the ones with the lowest levels of vitamin D.
To meet the ideal intake of vitamin D, sun exposure on a regular basis during the summer is very necessary. Duration is about 10 to 15 minutes each day without sunscreen at 11:00 to 15:00, when the sun is hot - heat it.
The ability of the body make vitamin D decreases with age. People aged over 65 years are advised to consume a vitamin D supplement 10 mcg per day. Dark-skinned people do not produce vitamin with ease. Nursing mothers and pregnant women should consume 10 micrograms of vitamin D supplements to ensure their children have healthy bone and protected from osteoporosis later in life.
Fat people should also take supplements, because vitamin D can be locked into the fat cells and can not be used by the body. Children aged 6 months - 5 years should be taking vitamin D supplements as much as 7 mcg every day because his bones are going through a critical stage of development. Vitamin D deficiency rickets has led to a surge of cases drastically.
If you consult any health book or journal, you will find that there are a few determinants of health . These factors help to determine whether an individual is leading a healthy life or not. These include gender, culture, social, physical and natural environments, education, employment and health care services. Factors like clean water, fresh air contribute to good health while dust and contaminated food can cause diseases. A person working in coal mines is more likely to have respiratory and skin disorders because of exposure to coal dust. In addition to that, it is also believed that lack of recreational activities in neighborhoods also contributes to lower health rate and increases obesity. And of course, gender controls diseases like breast cancer is prevalent in women while hypertension affects more men than women. So to live a happy, healthy and long life, one has to take care of all these factors and implement a healthy lifestyle in their lives.