Daily Vitamin D intake – recommendations

Vitamin D is one of the most important substances responsible for human health. It regulates more than a thousand physiological processes in the body, including the processes of DNA regeneration. Vitamin D deficiency links to impaired immunity and a higher risk of infections.

Unfortunately, many suffer from a chronic lack of this vitamin. The reason lies in the fact that to develop the daily value of vitamin D, you need to be in the sun for 10-15 minutes daily – or take regular supplements.

What is Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble vitamins that help the immune system function properly. Discovered in 1922, this substance became the fourth vitamin known to science, thus receiving the designation “D”.

Primarily, vitamin D is needed by the body to absorb calcium and phosphorus – helping maintain bone strength and ensuring the transmission of impulses between cells (for example, for muscle contractions). In addition, in the body of men, it is involved in the process of testosterone synthesis.

Studies link insufficient daily vitamin D to a 35% higher risk of heart disease death and a 14% higher cancer risk. Additionally, chronic vitamin deficiency relates to seasonal depression.

Recommended Daily Rates

Children need 10 micrograms of vitamin D daily (400 IU), adults need 15 micrograms (600 IU), and people over 70 need 20 micrograms (800 IU).

Note that being fat-soluble, vitamin D is able to accumulate in the body – in other words, its excess consumption is dangerous because it causes intoxication. The maximum allowable safe daily dose is 1,000 – 3,000 IU for children and 4,000 IU for adults.

Deficiency symptoms

Vitamin D deficiency can lead to lower immunity, chronic fatigue, and impaired growth in children. In adults, it can result in weak bones and teeth. Additionally, it can worsen hair and nail quality.

Among other things, vitamin D controls the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin. In the brain, serotonin is responsible for good mood, memory function, impulse control, and the ability to prioritize tasks – as well as other cognitive functions.

How to fill the gap?

Three main ways to get vitamin D are through skin synthesis with UV radiation exposure, food intake, and supplements.

To meet daily vitamin D needs, you need to expose your face, arms, legs, and back to the sun for 10-15 minutes, a challenge in autumn and winter. Among other things, the body of some people is not able to synthesize vitamin D even in direct sunlight.

Vitamin D Content in foods

The difficulty of obtaining vitamin D from food is due to the fact that a very limited amount of natural products contain it in their composition. In most cases, meeting the body’s needs for this vitamin solely through nutrition is very expensive and difficult.

In some countries, ultraviolet light irradiation boosts vitamin D content in certain products. Mainly, this process targets mushrooms and dairy products – a glass of such milk contains about 100 IU of vitamin D. Unfortunately, there is no such practice in Russia.

A spoonful of fish oil, like cod liver oil, contains up to 1400 IU of vitamin D, or 230% of the daily requirement. Since this vitamin can cause overdose and intoxication, avoid using multiple vitamin complexes simultaneously.

Foods Rich in Vitamin D:

Food product	Content per 100g	% of Daily Value
Sardines in oil	500 IU	83%
Catfish	440 IU	73%
Salmon, mackerel	340 – 360 IU	58%
Canned tuna	235 IU	40%
Eggs	30 IU	5%

Vitamin D is an essential component of human health. Its deficiency impairs various processes of hormone synthesis, cell regeneration, and absorption of other trace elements. In the autumn-winter period, regular intake of vitamin D tablets is one of the key components of the proper functioning of the immune system.