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Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins necessary for the body and on which the organs depend mainly, unlike other vitamins, it is considered as a hormone needed by every cell of the body In fact, each cell has special sensors for the absorption of vitamin D.

Vitamin D deficiency treatment guidelines

It is made from cholesterol after the body is exposed to sunlight, or it can be obtained by eating fish and some dairy, but sometimes food alone is not enough to obtain vitamin D, so other sources must be obtained.

The daily rate of obtaining vitamin D should be between (400-800) units or more, according to the opinion of some experts.

People who live in or near the tropics are less exposed to vitamin D deficiency, because they are more exposed to the sun than their bodies naturally produce and the right amount of vitamin D.

Vitamin D deficiency is widespread in the world, especially in cold regions where there is little sunlight. About one billion people around the world suffer from vitamin D deficiency in their blood.

The daily amount that the body needs of vitamin D, according to age

(before the shortage occurs)

• From birth to one year: 400 IU.
• Age 1 to 13 years: 600 international units.
• 14-18 years: 600 international units.
• 19-70 years: 600 international units.
• Over 70 years old: 800 IU.
• Pregnant and lactating women: 600 IU.

Causes of Vitamin D deficiency

• Not eating fish and dairy.
• Lack or poor absorption of vitamin D from food.
• Not enough exposure to the sun.
• There are some medications that prevent the body from absorbing vitamin D.
• Inability of the liver or kidneys to convert vitamin D into the active state.

Most at risk of vitamin D deficiency

• Dark skinned people.
• Older adults.
• Those who are overweight or obese.
• People who are not exposed to sunlight.
• People who use sunscreen regularly.
• Babies who depend on breast milk only for their diet, as breast milk is considered poor in vitamin D.
• Those who suffer from digestive disorders such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
• People with certain lymphomas.
• Those with one of the following diseases: osteoporosis, hyperthyroidism, kidney or liver disease.

Read: Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency

• High incidence of diseases: It has been shown that there is a relationship between vitamin D deficiency and frequent colds and respiratory diseases, as vitamin D deficiency makes the immune system weak and unable to produce antibiotics to attack the virus.

• Feeling tired and exhausted: People with vitamin D deficiency always complain of tiredness and extreme fatigue with constant headaches, and their inability to complete their daily tasks due to fatigue.

• Bone and back pain: Vitamin D helps absorb calcium in the body, and when it decreases, it directly affects the bones، Where it was found that people who have a low level of vitamin D constantly suffer from pain in the lower back, joints and bones in general, twice as much as people whose vitamin D is at the normal level.

• Depression: Through studies conducted on people with depression, it was found that 65% of them have a deficiency in vitamin D, and when treated with nutritional supplements, they began to improve significantly.

Other symptoms include:

1. Difficulty healing wounds.
2. Significant hair loss.
3. Frequent exposure to broken bones.
4. muscle weakness.
5. Rickets and bow legs for the young.

Vitamin D deficiency treatment

The normal for people who do not suffer from diseases must be at least 20, but if it is less than 12, then treatment must be started immediately, within a specific treatment plan by following these methods:

• Exposure to healthy sunlight at the appropriate times, from early morning until ten in the morning, and the second period after the afternoon prayer.

• Avoid using sunscreen all the time, as the sunscreen prevents the sun's rays from reaching the skin.

• Be careful to eat foods rich in vitamin D, such as fish, dairy, and other foods that we will mention later.

• Lose weight as much as possible, because fats hinder the conversion of vitamin D to the active state necessary for the body's organs.

• You can take vitamin D supplements, by purchasing them from the pharmacy after consulting a doctor to determine the appropriate dose according to age and the degree of deficiency in the body.

Positive effects for the body after treatment of vitamin D deficiency

A normal level of vitamin D affects the mitigation or even cure of some diseases, including:

• High blood pressure and heart disease.
• diabetes.
• Some cancerous tumors, such as: breast, colon, and prostate cancer.
• Immune system disorders, and thus respiratory diseases decrease.

Food sources of vitamin D

• Fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel.
• Beef liver.
• yolk.
• mushrooms.
• Milk, yogurt and cheese.
• Orange juice.

Note: You should consult a doctor when treating for this vitamin deficiency and follow up with a blood test, and follow the instructions well in order to avoid excessive vitamin percentage during treatment so as not to increase the natural amount of vitamin in the body some problems such as:

• nausea.
• Frequent urination and increased thirst.
• Delirium, lack of focus and saying incomprehensible words.

Vitamin D deficiency in women

Vitamin D deficiency is more common among women compared to men, especially during pregnancy and childbirth, where women lose many nutrients in these two stages, It is important to follow the symptoms and identify the causes that lead to vitamin deficiency, which we will mention in this article.

the reasons

1. Not eating foods rich in vitamin D.
2. Malabsorption due to some diseases.
3. Pregnancy and Birth.
4. Use a lot of sunscreen.
5. Excess obesity.
6. Digestive problems and disorders.
7. Staying for long periods indoors, such as at home, offices and workplaces.

Symptoms

• Diabetes may be a symptom of vitamin D deficiency.
• Alzheimer's disease.
• Excessive hair loss.
• Fatigue and extreme fatigue, even if the work is light, in addition to feeling depressed over time.
• The descent of some drops of urine, which is known as incontinence, due to the weakness of the bladder muscles.
• Feeling a lot of pain before and during menstruation.
• Bone pain: It was found that more than 50% of women who suffer from bone pain have low levels of vitamin D.

The treatment is carried out by following the above-mentioned steps.

Read: Iron deficiency