The most important things about vitamin D: causes of deficiency, effects on the body, optimal level

Without this group of biologically active substances (including cholecalciferol and ergocalciferol), the functioning of many organs is impossible. With a vitamin deficiency, bones become brittle and brittle - this is the first sign of vitamin deficiency.

Residents of countries where there is a lot of sunshine are practically not threatened by shortages. Their body synthesizes the vitamin thanks to the rays of the sun. In countries where there is little sun, vitamin D deficiency is often diagnosed.

What causes vitamin D deficiency?

Vitamin D deficiency in many Russian residents is due to:

• location in the northern temperate zone (above 42 degrees north latitude)
• limited exposure to the sun (office work, driving cars)
• eating meat from animals that have not been exposed to the sun (farm)
• use of sunscreens
• chronic diseases (obesity, intestinal pathology, taking a large number of medications)

You can determine the level of vitamin D in your body by taking the following test:

25-OH vitamin D (25-hydroxycalciferol) (amount)

Mistake #6. Do not distinguish between Omega-3 and Omega-6

Omega-3

and
Omega-6
are healthy and important unsaturated fatty acids for the body. However, there is no additional need to take Omega-6 - we get this component in sufficient quantities from food - vegetable oils, poultry, oatmeal, etc. Excess Omega-6 can play into the hands of inflammatory processes in the body.

For the curious

Vitamin D

combines a group of vitamins (D1, D2, D3, D4, D5), of which only two forms (D2 and D3) have important biological significance.

The main biological role of calcitriol

(1,25-OH-vitamin D) is to maintain a constant level of calcium in the blood (vitamin D enhances the absorption of calcium in the intestines and, if there is not enough calcium in the blood, ensures the flow of calcium from the bones into the blood).

Over time, receptors for calcitriol, in addition to the intestines and bones, were found in the kidneys, genitals, pancreas, muscles, cells of the immune and nervous systems. Thus, it became clear that vitamin D performs a large number of different functions in the human body:

• regulates the expression of 3% of the human genome (several thousand genes)
• increases the sensitivity of the insulin receptor (prevention of insulin resistance, obesity, diabetes)
• strengthens the skeletal system
• reduces the level of parathyroid hormone in the blood
• promotes the synthesis of sex hormones (testosterone, estrogens, progesterone)
• improves reproductive function
• affects innate and acquired immunity
• prevents the development of tumors, depression, Parkinson's disease

Mistake #5. Ignore Omega-3

Why take Omega-3

polyunsaturated acid? It preserves visual acuity, beauty and protects the vascular endothelium from damage. The brain is 30% composed of Omega-3 fatty acids. The substance is not synthesized in the body independently. Unfortunately, even adherents of the Mediterranean diet do not always get enough Omega-3. The fatty acid is found in fatty fish, flaxseed, sea buckthorn and mustard oils.

Adults should take 2 grams of Omega-3 daily—or more. The exact dosage can be selected after an analysis called the Omega-3 index

.

The advantage of Omega-3 capsules over the same red fish is the good purification of fatty acids from harmful impurities that we can receive along with fish caught in a pond.

Vitamin D deficiency

A lack of vitamin D in the body can lead to the development of:

• diseases of the cardiovascular system
• immunodeficiency, allergies, psoriasis, bronchial asthma, rheumatoid arthritis
• periodontal disease
• tumors of the large intestine, mammary glands, ovaries, prostate
• chronic fatigue, depression, insomnia
• decreased muscle strength leading to a risk of falls
• decreased motility and number of morphologically normal sperm (male factor infertility)
• risk factor for premature birth, fetopathies (less than 20 ng/ml)

Achieving a vitamin D level of 50 ng/ml (125 nmol/l) reduces the risk of developing:

Vitamin D is important during pregnancy.

Its deficiency is associated with the risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus, premature birth, preeclampsia, and various intrauterine developmental defects.

There is not a single case of teratogenic (leading to the development of tumors) effect of vitamin D in the world.

Mistake #7. Ignore iron (ferritin)

Iron deficiency leads to anemia, fatigue, muscle weakness, dry skin, and hair loss. Women are at risk for iron loss due to menstruation; vegetarians and vegetarians do not receive the required amount of this microelement.

Mistake #8. Taking Iron Blindly

In terms of absorption, iron is a particularly capricious microelement. It should be taken with particular caution. The point is not even that the drug in drops stains tooth enamel. Excess iron is deposited in internal organs (liver, pancreas, thyroid gland), leading to serious disorders: hemochromatosis, cirrhosis, hepatitis, melasma (dusty bronze skin color).

Iron is poorly absorbed with dairy products and coffee.

On the contrary, vitamin C, B12, and folic acid contribute to the favorable absorption of iron.

If iron is poorly absorbed, the doctor prescribes special complexes

.

Vitamin D standards

Considering the different units of measurement, the recommended level is:

60 - 100 ng/ml

150 – 250 nmol/l

To convert from ng/ml to nmol/l you need ng/ml * 2.5 = nmol/l

Example: 30 ng/ml * 2.5 = 75 nmol/l

Russian Association of Endocrinologists

considers
the optimal concentration
of vitamin D in the blood of an adult to be 30-100 ng/ml,
deficiency
20-30 ng/ml,
deficiency
- less than 20 ng/ml.

According to data presented at the 10th European Congress on Menopause and Andropause (Madrid, 2015), vitamin D levels in obese patients in Russia:

less than 20 ng/ml - 35%

20-30 ng/ml - 30%

more than 30 ng/ml - 35%

Daily Values ​​for Vitamin D

according to the recommendation of the American Society of Endocrinology (2011).

Prophylactic dose

vitamin D (when you can not detect it in the blood and take it calmly) is considered to be 4,000 IU per day.

Without medical supervision, it is not recommended to take vitamin D at a dose of 10,000 IU for more than 6 months. (Russian Association of Endocrinologists)

It is almost impossible to overdose on vitamin D. For example, in Holland, an elderly couple (90 and 95 years old) accidentally took a single dose of cholecalciferol 2,000,000 IU each.

Doctors monitored them for 2 months and did not identify any symptoms of overdose or toxicity. The maximum blood concentration of its form of 25-OH-vitamin D on day 8 was 210 and 170 ng/ml, respectively, which is slightly higher than its target values.

Mistake #9. Sports dietary supplements - trust and not test

Some athletes take proteins to accelerate muscle growth and “drying”. One of the most popular today is casein.

, which is made from ordinary cow's milk.
Casein protein is cheap to produce, but it is not suitable for everyone. Why is casein harmful? Once in the body, it turns into casomorphin
, which is addictive and can provoke inflammation of the intestinal mucosa, autoimmune diseases, swelling and lethargy.

Casein protein should not be taken by those who have problems with the gastrointestinal tract, as well as individual intolerance to lactose and casein.

Mistake #10. Not only collagen and hyaluronic acid are beneficial for the skin

After 35-40 years, the skin ages. Many women experience a lack of collagen peptides and hyaluronic acid: in this case, injection cosmetology and capsules come to the rescue as an auxiliary method of combating signs of age-related changes.

However, other components are also beneficial for the skin:

• Sex hormones;
• Vitamin C;
• Sulfur;
• Silicon;
• Iron;
• Zinc.

Consultation with an endocrinologist is a vector for your internal balance!

Liberanskaya Natalya Sergeevna

— endocrinologist, doctor of the highest category with more than 10 years of experience. Natalya Sergeevna sees patients with a variety of problems and issues within her specialization - excess weight, diabetes, thyroid problems, increased fatigue and drowsiness, pregnancy, menopause, metabolic disorders and endocrine glands.

Natalya Sergeevna is the author of the popular blog @doctor_liberanskaya, in which she regularly gives subscribers advice on maintaining health and therapy. All recommendations are based on the principles of evidence-based medicine and our own professional experience.

From 2022, Doctor Liberanskaya Natalya Sergeevna

accepts patients at the Pirogov Clinic - you can also undergo a consultation with an endocrinologist of the highest category.
To make the appointment informative and useful for you, we recommend taking the following tests:

• List of endocrinological tests

You can undergo the examination quickly, without queues and at a time convenient for you in our clinic.
Thanks to the latest diagnostic equipment and a team of qualified specialists from the laboratory of the Pirogov Clinic, you can be confident in objective and reliable results.

Types and causes of the disease

Dermatitis can develop on any part of the skin. However, in any case, you need to contact a specialist to establish possible causes and select appropriate treatment, especially if the patient is a small child. Self-treatment may cause the condition to worsen

There are many types of dermatitis, often they have similar symptoms, so they can be confused. That is why it is necessary to contact a specialist to carry out all the necessary examinations and, if necessary, undergo additional ones.

Contact dermatitis can occur due to three factors:

• Exposure to chemicals (acids and caustic compounds),
• Physical contact - different temperatures, pressure, friction,
• A biological factor involves contact with certain types of plants that can cause a negative reaction on the skin.

The size of the damaged areas depends on the degree of contact of the irritating substance with the skin. Allergic forms of dermatitis occur in people who have hypersensitivity to various substances and compounds.

The use of vitamin complexes for skin diseases internally and externally gives a good effect; as a rule, they are used in combination with other medications.