By: Sydney Cochrane
There are many benefits to getting some sunshine, emotionally and physically. When the sun is out and spring is sprung, there is a certain happiness in the air. Sunshine supplies a very important vitamin – Vitamin D. Getting the right amount of this vitamin was very important. It plays an important role in the human body.
Everyone is a different shape and size at different points in their lives. This is why the RDA, or Recommended Daily Intake is different for various stages of development. The RDA for all healthy populations male and female under the age of seventy including pregnant and breastfeeding women is 15 micrograms. For otherwise healthy populations over seventy years of age, 20 micrograms is recommended. (National Institute of Health).
Liver and kidney disease affects the absorption of vitamin D so someone with these problems has different needs and should consult a medical professional. Also, always consult a medical professional before going on any supplement. (Whitney, Rolfes, & Pinna, 2012). Many people in the world today are deficient of this vitamin because it is becoming more and more normal to spend days at a time inside (Holick & Chen, 2008).
Vitamin D is important because helps to absorb of calcium and phosphorus which are both important for bone health. (Whitney, Rolfes, & Pinna, 2012). Having either too much or too little Vitamin D can be very harmful. Too much of the sunshine vitamin causes kidney stones, kidney damage, bone loss and high blood pressure. If not treated, it can harden blood vessels, which can be fatal. Vitamin D deficiency causes bone loss as well, along with muscle weakness. This vitamin deficiency is what causes rickets, along with osteoporosis (Nair & Maseeh, 2012).
With the trend of staying inside, vitamin D deficiency is becoming a worldwide problem. Make sure to get your dose of sunshine to stay happy and healthy!
References
Holick, M. F., & Chen, T. C. (2008, April). Vitamin D deficiency: a worldwide problem with health consequences. Retrieved April 12, 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18400738
Nair, R., & Maseeh, A. (2012, Spring). Vitamin D: The “sunshine” vitamin. Retrieved April 12, 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3356951/
National Institute of Health. (n.d.). Office of Dietary Supplements – Vitamin D. Retrieved April 12, 2017, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/#h2
Whitney, E. N., Rolfes, S. R., & Pinna, K. (2012). Understanding normal and clinical nutrition (10th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.
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