A few days ago I consulted a patient who was worried about her health. As an argument, she mentioned that she recently did several tests that showed a deficiency of vitamin D. In addition, other symptoms began to bother the woman: dry skin, poor sleep, fatigue and muscle pain. After the consultation, I advised her to take vitamin D. The patient looked at me in surprise and asked: Why should I take vitamin D in the summer? After all, it is synthesized under the influence of sunlight.
In this context, I thought it would be useful for you to know the answer to this question too.
From the outset, I will note that the claim that you do not need to take vitamin D in the summer is a myth. But, I also want to emphasize that the main condition for prescribing the vitamin is to do a blood test, which will confirm the deficiency of this substance.
Why is this a myth?
Because vitamin D deficiency can occur at any time of the year, including summer. It seems that in the summer, vitamin D should be enough for everyone – after all, the sun is shining, which means that cholecalciferol (the active form of vitamin D synthesized by humans) itself is produced in the right amount. But it's not really like that.
To stock up on at least one dose of vitamin a day, a person will have to spend most of the day outside. This can be very dangerous for the health of the skin.
Note also that vitamin D is synthesized not only in the sun, but also when eating certain foods. In particular, the leaders in its content are: cod liver, oily sea fish, salmon, herring and egg yolks. But even that is not a solution to vitamin D deficiency, because getting the vitamin from foods is also difficult. For example, to get a daily dose of vitamin D, a person needs to eat 4.5 kg of cheese or 100 egg yolks. Agree that the task is not entirely feasible.
Statistics show that normal levels of the "sunshine" vitamin are rare. This tells us that many people face vitamin D deficiency, including even those who live in sunny areas.
What are the consequences of vitamin D deficiency?
Lack of "solar" vitamin leads to a deterioration in the metabolism and assimilation of two vital minerals – calcium and phosphorus. As a result, the likelihood of developing various pathologies of the musculoskeletal system, including osteoporosis, increases. With hypovitaminosis D, muscle weakness may occur, a tendency to frequent fractures, thinning of bones, and decreased endurance may appear. According to some reports, the lack of "solar" vitamin may be associated with the development of malignant neoplasms, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes.
What conclusion have we come to?
Let's start by mentioning that vitamin D deficiency can cause some pretty serious health problems.
We also found out that we can naturally increase our vitamin D levels in the summer, but only if we are in the sun every day and at certain times of the day, which is not always good for the skin.
Finally, you should not neglect vitamin D deficiency and continue to take therapeutic or maintenance doses at any time of the year, depending on your doctor's recommendations.
Enjoy life and the sun!