For those who are exhausted physically and mentally from the heat wave, there is no better remedy than the autumn sunlight. Compared to summer, the intensity of UV rays is lower in autumn than in summer and the temperature is moderately warm. When you sit in the sun on a cool day, your mind and body are stabilized and vitamin D synthesis is promoted to keep you healthy.
Vitamin D | Source: Getty Images Bank
Vitamin D to help with seasonal health
Vitamin D is a nutrient synthesized when UV rays contact the skin and helps prevent various diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. In addition, it helps the body absorb calcium and transports substances called paratormon and calcitonin, which are produced in the parathyroid gland, to the bone marrow along with calcium, which greatly contributes to bone health. It also strengthens the immune system, which is prone to decline during the changing seasons. This is why vitamin D is called the sunlight vitamin and immune vitamin.
On the other hand, vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of acquired rickets, which deforms the head, chest, and limb bones. Vitamin D deficiency also affects emotions, which can lead to depression by reducing the secretion of hormones related to positive emotions, such as serotonin.
In order to prevent various diseases and maintain mental health, it is necessary to help the synthesis of vitamin D by regularly basking in the sun during the changing seasons.
Vitamin D Deficiency Advisory
India is a vitamin D deficient country. Vitamin D deficiency is particularly evident among the elderly, office workers, and students. Lack of outdoor activities is the main reason. Elderly people who have difficulty going out due to mobility difficulties, students and office workers who spend all day indoors may suffer from vitamin D deficiency because it is difficult to get frequent exposure to the sun. In a similar vein, the sunscreen we frequently apply also causes vitamin D deficiency.
Vitamin D can be supplemented through food intake such as dairy products or eggs, but vitamin D intake through food has a low absorption rate in the body, so the efficiency should be reconsidered. Vitamin D deficiency can be prevented by consuming vitamin D in the form of health functional foods (nutrients) with active ingredients concentrated in addition to food.
What are the criteria for choosing a vitamin D supplement?
As the vitamin D deficiency problem emerged, nutritional supplements with increased efficacy and content were launched. Recently, a high-content vitamin D that meets the daily recommended amount of vitamin D (4,000 UI) with just one intake has been in the spotlight. It is worth considering taking good nutritional supplements because it is difficult to get them from time to time. In addition, products that can be consumed as snacks such as liquid vitamin D, orange flavored vitamin D, and soft gelatin capsules and reduce the burden of swallowing the throat (texture) peculiar to nutritional supplements are receiving favorable reviews.
However, since vitamin D is fat-soluble, if you take more than 30,000 IU per day for a long time, it can accumulate in the body and cause side effects.
