The prevention of osteoporosisa disease characterized by decreased bone densitywhich makes them more fragile and susceptible to fractures, led the medical and scientific community to highlight the importance of certain nutrients in the daily diet.
Osteoporosis is a silent disease that affects the entire body, causing bones to weaken.. It is a condition that has no visible symptoms, so people who suffer from it may not know it until they suffer a fracture.
The vitamin D It is a crucial fat-soluble nutrient in prevention of this condition, due to its fundamental role in regulating the calciumnecessary to maintain the bone health. This vitamin facilitates absorption of calcium in the intestinean essential process for the development and strengthening of bones.
The vitamin D, also known as calciferol, is essential for the health of the body. This nutrient plays a crucial role in strengthening and maintaining bones and teeth, as it helps the body absorb calcium, a fundamental element for bone composition.
According to research done in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of USAthis nutrient is vital for calcium absorption, essential component for maintaining strong bones.
“Vitamin D along with calcium helps prevent osteoporosis, a disease that causes bones to become thinner and weaker and more prone to fractures,” the experts said, adding that this vitamin ““It is essential for the immune system to be able to fight the bacteria and viruses that attack it.”
In addition, this fat-soluble vitamin is essential for the proper functioning of the nervous, muscular and immune systemsthanks to its ability to regulate various hormones.
This vitamin belongs to the group of fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin K and E, in addition to A. Already in Middle Ages, tuberculosis patients were subjected to sunbaths, since they noticed that sun exposure improved the symptoms of the condition. Vitamin D receptors are expressed in various lung cells, underscoring the importance of the vitamin in lung function. Thus, it contributes to the defense against respiratory infections and mitigates inflammatory lung diseases.
Specialists emphasize the importance of controlling and maintaining high levels of vitamin D. It is a nutrient that behaves like a hormone for the function it performs in the regulation of all physical and chemical processes in the body that use energy.
Although vitamin D is not common in fruits, avocado either avocado It stands out for its content. It provides 4.5 micrograms of this nutrient per 100 grams, even though vitamin D is not abundant in fruits in general.
In turn, avocado is an excellent source of other nutrients, such as healthy fats, fiber, vitamin K, folic acid and potassium. It is packed with almost 20 different vitamins and minerals.
The fungus either mushrooms have the unique ability among foods of non-animal origin to produce vitamin D when exposed to ultraviolet lightsimilar to the process by which humans synthesize the vitamin under sun exposure.
This characteristic is due to the presence of ergosterol in mushrooms, a compound that is converted into vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) when irradiated with ultraviolet light.
Therefore, mushrooms can be an important source of vitamin D, especially for people following a vegetarian or vegan diet, as long as they have been exposed to ultraviolet light before consumption. This property makes them a valuable option to increase vitamin D levels in the diet.
The sources of vitamin D are varied and its consumption is essential to avoid bone weakness and diabetes (since it helps control blood sugar levels) among other pathologies. That is why it is important to know which foods contain this vitamin. Therefore, they recommend the intake of functional foods and pharmacological vitamin supplements:
- Fatty fish: It is the best food source of vitamin D. Specialists recommend eating salmon, mackerel and sardines.
- Red meat and liver: These are also included in foods.
- The ricotta: It originated on farms and cottages as a way to use up excess milk on the verge of going sour or sour. It is an excellent source of this vitamin, as it helps with the absorption of calcium, which is abundant in ricotta.
- Egg yolks: It is a source of natural vitamin D, which some studies have linked to protection against memory loss and forgetting. The form of vitamin D found in egg yolks tends to be more potent than previously thought.
- The mushrooms: Most mushrooms sold in supermarkets are grown in dark caves and contain little or no vitamin D. But according to several studies, placing white mushrooms in the midday sun for 15 to 20 minutes will form enough vitamin D to provide the recommended daily amount.
- The milk: Almost all milk is fortified with vitamin D. Vegetable soy, almond, rice and coconut milks are almost always fortified with this vitamin, and it is always a good idea to read the nutritional label.
- Fortified cereals: Most cereals are fortified with vitamin D. The Food and Drug Administration approved increases in vitamin D fortification levels in cereals and grain-based snack bars. The way to find out is to look at the labels.
- The avocado: Vitamin D is not very present in fruits but the richest in this nutrient is avocado. It provides 4.5 micrograms per 100 grams. In addition, it has high percentages of vitamin C, E, K and B9, minerals such as potassium, magnesium and phosphorus. It also works as an antioxidant and reduces cholesterol due to its monounsaturated fats.
The lack of vitamin D has no symptoms until the condition is severe. The only way to know the values of this nutrient and know if a supplement is needed is through a Laboratory analysis. According to Cleveland Clinic of the USA, the low levels of vitamin D in blood they could present as follows:
- Fatigue
- Bone pain
- Muscle weakness, muscle aches, or muscle cramps
- Mood changes, such as depression
However, there are situations in which the deficiency of this nutrient does not manifest immediate symptoms. In the long term, this deficiency can cause bone weakening or osteoporosisincreasing the risk of suffering fractures from bumps or falls.
To produce vitamin D, the body requires sun exposure. Under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, this vitamin is formed in the skin from cholesterol molecules.
This means that sun exposure is necessary to manufacture it. Then, once this synthesis has started, it continues in the liver and finally in the kidney, generating, finally, the metabolite of most interest: vitamin D3, which, unlike vitamin D2, of plant origin, has the greatest activity. biological.
Complementing sun exposure with a diet rich in vitamin D is possible. Despite the need for sunlight, experts advise a exposure of five minutes in the summer months and thirty minutes during the winter. An average exposure time of 15 minutes a day, avoiding hours of maximum solar radiation to prevent skin damage.
It is also essential to incorporate this vitamin through certain foods such as fatty fish, eggs, avocados, mushrooms, food products fortified with vitamin D such as yogurt or milk, and supplements.
Experts agree that an optimal level of calcium and vitamin D in the body it is essential to have strong and long-lasting bones.
According to experts from The Mayo Clinic, sun exposure is essential. However, it is common for older people not to get enough sun exposure and face difficulties absorbing vitamin D. If you suspect a deficiency of this vitamin, a blood test can confirm the diagnosis.
Taking a multivitamin with vitamin D, experts say, can help improve bone health. The recommended daily amount of vitamin D is 400 international units (IU) for children up to 12 months, 600 IU for people 1 to 70 years old, and 800 for people over 70.
A study recently published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicinewhich reveals that long-term use of calcium and vitamin D supplements in postmenopausal women is associated with a lower risk of premature death from some diseases, but increases the risk of death from others.
In turn, specialists point out that taken in adequate doses, vitamin D is generally considered safe. However, taking too much vitamin D in the form of supplements can be harmful, so the indication and monitoring of doctors is essential.
Children over 9 years of age, adults, and pregnant or breastfeeding women who take more than 4,000 IU per day of vitamin D may experience the following:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Poor appetite and weight loss
- Constipation
- Weakness
- Confusion and disorientation
- Heart rhythm problems
- Kidney stones and kidney damage