Vitamin D, also called the sunlight vitamin, varies in demand with the seasons. It is because of the vague belief that sunlight in summer will produce a lot of vitamin D. Vitamin D is a nutrient that is synthesized in the body through exposure to UV rays. In particular, during the rainy season, when the weather is cloudy or rainy like these days, it is more easy to become deficient in vitamin D because there is less sun exposure. If it’s raining continuously, or if you’re not outdoors because of the heat, you may want to consider a vitamin D supplement.
“Why is sunlight vitamin D important?”
Vitamin D plays an important role in the metabolism of calcium and phosphorus in our body. It promotes the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in the intestine, which helps in bone health. If there is not enough vitamin D, the concentration of calcium and phosphorus in the blood does not increase enough, so that it cannot be accumulated in the bones, which weakens the skeleton.
Recently, it has been found that it also acts on various immune responses of our body. In addition, the ability to regulate cell differentiation and proliferation is improved, and it has anticancer effects, and is involved in various areas such as muscle strength improvement, cognitive function improvement, and mental health.
If you are trying to lose weight in the summer, you should consider vitamin D even more importantly. This is because vitamin D deficiency affects serotonin, which stores fat, and insulin, which stores fat, making it difficult to lose weight. In fact, a National Institutes of Health (NIH) study found that 383 obese women lost weight as their blood vitamin D levels increased.
“80~90% of Koreans lack vitamin D…how to supplement?”
According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), regarding 80-90% of the total population in Korea is vitamin D deficient. As a result of analysis of nutritional deficiency and obesity statistics for the last five years (2017-2021) by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of vitamin D deficiency patients increased by 186.3% compared to 2017.
85-90% of the vitamin D we get from nature comes from sunlight. Basically, to get enough vitamin D from sunlight, you need to be exposed to the sun at least 3 times a week, 15 minutes at a time, in short sleeves and shorts, without sunscreen around noon when the UV index is high. UV-B, a type of ultraviolet light, does a good job of producing vitamin D, but when it comes into contact with the skin, it is the main culprit in causing skin cancer or burns. Therefore, in order to safely secure sufficient vitamin D, it is recommended to consume it through food, but in fact, foods containing large amounts of vitamin D are rare.
“A convenient vitamin D supplement for modern people… What is the recommended intake?”
Foods that contain vitamin D include dairy products, egg yolks, and blue-green fish. However, since it is difficult to meet the recommended vitamin D content with food, it is effective to supplement it through nutritional supplements, said pharmacist Oh Jeong-seok.
Nutritional Supplements Vitamin D can be easily obtained by taking one tablet a day. Vitamin D supplements on the market come in various dosages ranging from 200 to 5,000 IU. Pharmacist Oh Jeong-seok advised that an adult intake of 2,000 to 5,000 IU per day is sufficient. The recommended daily intake for maintaining a healthy vitamin D level is 4,000 IU, but there is a limit to the absorption rate and activation rate, so supplementing with a little more is recommended. However, since vitamin D is fat-soluble, high doses of 30,000 IU or more per day can accumulate in the body and cause toxicity.
Help = Pharmacist Jeong-seok Oh
