How Much Vitamin D Do You Need In A Day?
Vitamin D is produced by our skin in contact with sunlight and has a wide range of benefits. But how much of it do you really need per day? Let’s find out!
When trying to boost your fitness levels or even keep yourself healthy during a new diet, vitamins are the key. To help you with overall well-being and a properly functioning immune system, you need vitamin D.
You may also know vitamin D is called the sunshine vitamin. That is because this vitamin is produced in the skin when it comes in contact with sunlight.
There are many ways in which your body can enjoy the benefits of vitamin D. It can help you with weight loss, reduce depression, and it can even help you fight against diseases.
Read on to learn the basics when it comes to vitamin D and why your body needs it.
The Health Benefits Of Vitamin D
This specific vitamin helps to control the amount of phosphate and calcium in your body. These are important nutrients that you need for healthy bones, teeth, and even healthy muscles.
There can be even major problems when your body has a lack of vitamin D. You can suffer from bone pain, and it can even lead to bone deformities in children.
As I mentioned before, your health can improve when you get enough vitamin D.
Maybe the best thing that can come out of regular vitamin D consumption is its disease-fighting properties. It helps reduce the risk of multiple sclerosis, and it may even reduce your risk of heart diseases.
To make you better understand why your body needs vitamin D, here are some facts about it:
- It is great for bone health and a properly functioning immune system;
- When you are exposed to sunlight, your body will naturally produce vitamin D;
- There are certain foods that help you get a dose of vitamin D such as fatty fish, mushrooms, red meat, egg yolks, etc;
- The lack of vitamin D will affect your bones badly, causing rickets in children or osteoporosis;
- A poor diet or the lack of exposure to sunlight can lead to vitamin D deficiency.
This is pretty much the basic knowledge about vitamin D. Now all you need to know is how much of this vitamin do you really need in your system on a daily basis.
The Amount Of Vitamin D Your Body Need Per Day
Your daily dose of vitamin D should be about 400–800 IU (international units) or 10–20 micrograms.
There are some studies that suggest a considerably higher dose of vitamin D, around 1,000–4,000 IU (25-100 micrograms) per day.
Great sources of vitamin D consist of sunlight, certain foods that contain vitamin D, and even supplements.
Orange juice, milk, cereals, shrimp can be great sources of vitamins besides the ones I’ve mentioned above.
But there are times when neither the sun exposure nor the foods you eat won’t get your body sufficient vitamin D. So supplements come to the rescue and provide you with the necessary dose of vitamins.
When you find the vitamin D supplement for your liking, just make sure that you do not take more than 100 micrograms. This is because there is such a thing as too much vitamin D.
If you consume more than the recommended 100 micrograms per day for a long period of time, you can develop health problems. Too much vitamin D can affect your kidneys, heart, and even damage your bones.
Just enjoy some time outside in the sunlight and have a healthy and balanced diet that contains vitamin-rich foods. And if you do not get enough sunlight or have a poor diet, take some supplements to keep those bones healthy.
The Different Types Of Vitamin D
There is such a thing as vitamin D3 or vitamin D2. These are all forms in which you consume vitamin D.
When you come across vitamin D3 this means that your vitamin comes from animal sources. These sources can include fish oil, egg yolks, liver, or fatty fish.
Vitamin D2, on the other hand, comes from plant sources. So if you are vegan, you can get vitamin D2 from mushrooms, soy milk, cereals, orange juice, rice milk.
The most natural dose of vitamin D is the one you get directly from the sun. Your skin will produce this vitamin in contact with sunlight and your body will get all the benefits from it.
Whichever type or form in which you consume your vitamin D is up to you. The most important thing is to get it in your system and this way your body stays healthy with strong bones and big muscles.
