Vitamin D is necessary for the proper functioning of the human body, in addition to its absorption in food, adequate exposure to sunlight is required for it to acquire its active form.
Vitamin D prevents rickets in children and adolescents, as well as osteomalacia and osteoporosis in adults. It is necessary for cellular and muscular mobility. The foods with the highest concentration of vitamin D that you should consume will be described in this article.
The importance of vitamin D
Why is vitamin D important, and why should we eat foods rich in this vitamin every day?
Vitamin D is necessary to maintain the human body, its deficiency can be fatal. This vitamin regulates the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in the gastrointestinal tract and the renal excretion of these. Consequently, it is necessary for the proper formation and maintenance of the human skeleton or bones.
In addition, calcium is essential for muscle contraction, and phosphate for cellular energy. Both are essential for cell growth, the functioning of the immune system, and the neuromuscular system, and preventing or reducing inflammation.
Recommended daily intake of vitamin D
What are the recommended daily intake requirements for Vitamin D in humans?
The recommended daily intake is 600 to 2000 IU (IU is the abbreviation for international units) of vitamin D, the minimum recommended amount of 600 IU for healthy people with low risk of deficiency. In cases of deficiency this amount should be increased to 2000 IU for 6 to 8 weeks.
How long do I have to get direct sunlight to make vitamin D?
Exposing the whole body to sunlight between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., long enough for very mild skin redness to occur, can generate more vitamin D in a single day than the amount absorbed from food in more than a week. being the equivalent of 10,000 to 25,000 IU. This enormous variation is determined by the pigmentation of the skin (less pigment more generation), age, and the use of sunscreen.
Foods that contain vitamin D
What are the causes of vitamin D deficiency?
The vitamin D deficiency may be caused by the presence of one or more of the following factors.
To maintain the adequate level of vitamin D, it is more important to have adequate exposure to natural sunlight every day, than to rely only on the intake of foods with high concentrations of it. Because the skin cells can generate a large amount of this vitamin in a few minutes.
Digestion begins in your mouth, where saliva starts to break down food when you chew. When you swallow, your chewed food moves to your esophagus, a tube that connects your throat to your stomach. Muscles in the esophagus push the food down to a valve at the bottom of your esophagus, which opens to let food into the stomach.