Vitamin D is an essential nutrient and recent research has suggested that it can also help prevent severe COVID-19.
But how much is enough and how much does it cost to get the right amount of vitamin D?
“We know that a large percentage of the population has suboptimal levels of vitamin D. In fact, up to half of the U.S. population may be deficient in vitamin D,” said Kristin Gustashaw, clinical dietitian at Rush University Medical Center. Chicago. “This can cause symptoms such as fatigue, tiredness, hair loss, delayed wound healing, decreased immune health, muscle pain and more, with no other known causes.
“Part of the difficulty in maintaining vitamin D levels is because there isn’t a wide variety of foods that contain a lot of vitamin D,” Gustashaw added in a medical center press release.
The vitamin is accessible to people through some foods, supplements and even the sun.
Food sources include egg yolks, milk, cheese, beef or veal liver and certain fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines. Other foods are fortified with vitamin D, including certain cereals, breads, soy milk and orange juice.
Gustashaw also recommends that people sunbathe for at least 15 to 30 minutes a day, but says they should be sure to get a steady source of nutrients from their diet and supplements.
Adults should get a minimum of 600 IU of vitamin D each day and 800 IU if they are over 70 years old. Children should receive 600 IU each day. And babies up to 12 months should receive 400 IU / day. Gustashaw says you can determine vitamin D levels through a blood test.
If you have low levels of vitamin D, it’s always best to talk to your doctor or dietitian about the best way to increase your intake, experts at Rush University said.
Some medications can affect the absorption of vitamin D. These include steroids, cholesterol-lowering drug cholestyramide, and medications for phenobarbital and phenytoin seizures.
Although vitamin D toxicity is uncommon, there is no evidence that it is more beneficial to take more than the upper limit of the recommended dose, experts said. In some cases, an excessive amount of vitamin D can lead to kidney failure, calcification of soft tissues throughout the body, including coronary vessels and heart valves, cardiac arrhythmias, and even death.