Vitamin D3 vs. D; a brief about Sunshine Vitamin

Vitamin D3 vs. D; a brief about Sunshine Vitamin

What is vitamin D and D3?Vitamin D is also familiar as Sunshine vitamin. Human body generates this vitamin through foods, fortified supplements and exposure of sunlight. When we eat calcium rich foods, this vitamin boost up our body to generate calcium by absorption of vitamin D. This vitamin (D) boosts our calcium level not only from calcium rich foods and supplements but also through Sun exposure at midday precisely. Sometimes, Doctor prescribes vitamin D only which is confusing for the patient because which one he or she would be consumed like vitamin D3 or Vitamin D. Well, simply vitamin D is composed of combination of D2 (Ergocalciferol) and D3 (Cholecalciferol). D2 originates from plants found in fortified cereals, wild mushroom and D3 from animal source like fish oil, fatty fish, liver, egg yolk, cheese, etc. So, vitamin D means literally Cholecalciferol or combination of d2+d3. It is measurable by International Unit called IU. D3 is mostly used short form of vitamin D in practically as it has more capacity to influence or synthesize our calcium and phosphorus level in blood with compared to D2.

Vitamin D is utmost required to make our bones strong as it facilitates the body to utilize calcium from our regular diet . Conventionally, D deficiency has direct link to rickets, a disease in which the bone tissue cannot properly mineralize resulting soft bones and skeletal structural anomalies. Research announces on evidence basis that the significance of vitamin D in prevention against a host of health problems are enormous and exciting.

Who are prone to have vitamin D deficiency?

Infants
Infants taking mothers milk alone can suffers from vitamin D deficiency if mother has lack of that vitaminSenior/Elder population
Elders are at high risk from vitamin D deficiency, partly because their skin lost its ability to normally synthesize vitamin D3. Furthermore, senior people are mostly spend more time at indoors with compared to young adult. In addition, their appetite goes down so that inadequate dietary result of vitamin D deficiency.

People with limited sun exposure
Persons who work all day long in the factory where building structure is fully protected from sun, people who wear long dresses, head covering for religion issue and IT sector specialist who works mainly at desk in whole daylong get limited sun exposure obtain inadequate amounts of vitamin D from sunlight.

Person with dark complexion
Dark complexion people having great volume of melanin in upper level of skin that’s why their skin color become dark. This darkness limit the skin to generate vitamin D from sunlight. Thus Mexican- Americans and Non-Hispanics black people got lower serum 25(OH)D levels than White Americans. But some exceptions are existing which medical science is yet to unable to unveil of its mystery.

Obesity
As we know, vitamin D is fat soluble nutrient so its absorption rely on intestinal capacity to absorb dietary food and supplements. Metabolism disorder is connected with different health conditions like liver diseases, cystic fibrosis, Crohn’s diseases and ulcerative colitis. So these group of people cannot take dietary products or take only small amounts of these foods. So that, their body faces lack of vitamin D daily basis and later stage, they are suffering from vitamin D insufficiency.
What happens when there is vitamin D3 lacking?
When there is not optimum or enough vitamin D in your body, then following health condition(s) might occur, these conditions are shown below:
 Hypertension and Heart disease  Bone pain like back pain  Tiredness and fatigue
 Depression  Infections  Loss of Hair!
 Muscle ache/cramp  Poor wound healing  Bone density loss

Should I take vitamin D or D3?

It depends on the basis of deficiency or insufficiency level showing specific health signs and symptoms, then one should take vitamin D in form of capsule or tablet with consultation of doctor or pharmacist. Besides, each and every day, our body needs certain amount of vitamin D through our regular diet . Our daily intake of vitamin D is showing in the following table

Vitamin D Dosage
Age Group Dosage
Teenagers from 14 to 18 years 600 IU / 15 mcg
Adult from 19 to 70 years 600 IU / 15 mcg
Senior Adult 71 years to elder age 800 IU / 20 mcg
Pregnant mother and breastfeeding 600 IU / 15 mcg

Safe dosage of vitamin D

Sensible thinking and much caution needs to be addressed while taking dietary supplements because excessive taking of vitamin D3 might cause problems for kidney and liver. Research study suggested that maximum people should increase daily intake of sunshine vitamin.
Sometimes people assume that only sun bath and regular foods are enough to gain this vitamin D but science has already proved that we need more than that to achieve our optimum vitamin D level in our body. So, laboratory testing, proper supplementation, correct way of sun exposure and regular balance food intake are the key factors to get right amount of this vital prohormone.

Moreover, clinical data suggested the following safe dosage of taking daily vitamin D intake:

 Infants up to 1 year : Up to 2,000 IU
 1 year to 18 years : Up to 4,000 IU
 18 years to older : Up to 10,000 IU

Above mention dosage with the age group was studied and reviewed but no vitamin toxicity was found. Vitamin D toxicity is rare phenomena now a days. The study also recommended that it would be wise to test the blood level of vitamin D3, then adjust the dose.

Benefits of vitamin D

Sunshine vitamin (D) plays vital role on our health and Clinical researchers is spontaneously finding new significant usefulness on human health still now.
This is the Prohromone or hormone like substance which helps the health of whole body through pregnancy time, promoting healthy bones and teeth, muscles, support our body defense system, regulation of insulin level, lung function, supports diabetes management, cardiac work, immune activity, healthy hair, etc.
Does vitamin d3 help with weight loss !

Getting enough vitamin D can keep your hormone levels in check and may help enhance weight loss and decrease body fat. In turn, losing weight can increase vitamin D levels and help you maximize its other benefits, such as maintaining strong bones and protecting against illness.

Are there any side effects from taking vitamin d3?

As we know that sunshine vitamin is acting in our body as Prohormone and it causes harmful high calcium levels if it receives excessively. The overdose sign could be abdominal bloating, vomiting, constipation, feels thirst, increase frequency of urination and unusual fatigue or tiredness.
When should I take vitamin D morning or night?
Vitamin D is so called Sunshine nutrient, from its nomenclature it is readily agreed that vitamin D is considerably well absorb during day time. It has some logic or reason because during daytime, we usually don’t go to sleep for longer period and moving to the outside for shopping, playing, office place, etc. So, if we take this vitamin during daytime, our body can easily synthesizing it with the help of sun. Finally, it is wise and much better to intake this sunshine supplement in the morning time.
How long does it take to correct a vitamin D deficiency?
Most of this kind of question is difficult to answer in a word because so many factors depends to make this answer such as patients deficiency level, age, existing medical condition, race, occupation, etc. But overall, 16 weeks is required time to correct vitamin D deficiency by simply put vitamin D supplements with our regular diet . Regular vitamin D3 intake up to 5000 IU per day seems safe to continue in basis of long term supplementation when there is suspicious of this prohormone deficit.

What foods are having Sunshine Vitamin (D)?

 Milk of cow, goat  Beer liver  Cord liver oil.
 Mushroom  Cheese, Curd  Coral fish like Sardines.
 Egg yolks  Mackereland  Herring, tuna,salmon fish.
 Chicken breast  Broccoli  Carrot
 Almond  Banana  Sunflower seed

In summary, Vitamin D is the ultimately protect us from Osteoporosis, Hypertension, Cancer, different inflammatory diseases and autoimmune diseases. Last but not least, we should keep monitoring our body if there is any sign of vitamin D3 or D insufficiency or deficiency. Sunlight exposure is the greatest source of our body to synthesize vitamin D. Furthermore, doctor consultation and laboratory test are the final steps to take this vitamin accordingly.

TAG: VITAMIN D VITAMIN D3 DOSAGE OF VITAMIN D