What is Vitamin D?

 VITAMIN D

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient for good health and plays an important role in:

Protecting bones from osteoporosis

Support the body's immune system

Aids in cell growth

Promoting Muscle Health Trusted Source

The body makes vitamin D naturally from sunlight and gets vitamin D from nutritious foods, including:

Vitamin D-fortified juices, dairy, and plant-based dairy products

Cod liver oil

Fatty fish, including salmon, tuna, and mackerel

Beef liver

Egg-yolk

What is vitamin D deficiency?

Sometimes a person cannot naturally get all the vitamin D they need. A doctor can determine how much vitamin D a person has with a blood test.

If a person's blood vitamin D levels are between 30-49 nmol/L (nanomole per liter), they are considered at risk of insufficiency.

30 nmol/L or less, the person is at risk of vitamin D deficiency.

In addition to blood test readings, symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include:

Bone weakness, osteoporosis, or both

Bone pain

Fatigue

Muscle weakness, pain, or twitching

Tight joints

If a person has low vitamin D levels, they may need to take a vitamin D supplement.

The daily recommended allowance of a reliable source of vitamin D depends on a person's age. From age 1 to 70, a person should get 15 micrograms of vitamin D per day. This increases to 20 micrograms for adults age 71 and older.

Vitamin D deficiency and mortality

According to Dr Elena Hypnan, director of the Australian Center for Precision Health at the University of South Australia and senior author of the new study, the research team wanted to examine whether high levels of vitamin D could reduce the risk of premature death. And does it have the same effect for people who have low vitamin D levels as for those who already have enough?

For the study, researchers from the U.K. examined data from over 300,000 adult participants in the Biobank.

For the study, scientists used a technique called Mendelian randomization Trusted Source, which allows researchers to use genetic variation to find causal relationships between modifiable risk factors — in this case, vitamin D. deficiency - and health consequences, such as risk of death.

Upon analysis, the researchers found over a 14-year period that when a person's vitamin D levels increased, their risk of death decreased significantly.

Scientists also reported a link between low levels of vitamin D and deaths caused by:

Cancer

Cardiovascular diseases

Respiratory Disease Trusted Source

Moreover, the research team found that a person's vitamin D level was at risk of deficiency if their vitamin D level was 25 nmol/L, compared to participants with a vitamin D level of 50 nmol/L. His risk of death increased by 25 percent. .

Why is a causal relationship important?

In this study, researchers found a "causal association" between vitamin D deficiency and an increased risk of death.