Since we are on the topic of dietary Vitamin D, you may be wondering, where can I get the dietary Vitamin D I need? Well it isn't easy. Vitamin D is only in a few foods, and only in small amounts. Only about 20% of our Vitamin D comes from food, since our skin makes the majority of it. However, you can get Vitamin D from dairy, fish, egg yolks, some healthy cereals, and some fish oils! The RDI's for varying ages are listed below.
- Infants 0-12 Months: 10 (μg/d)
- Men and Women 1-70 yrs: 15 (μg/d)
- Men and Women 70+: 20 (μg/d)
Are you getting enough Vitamin D? Recent studies show that many people think they're getting more Vitamin D than they really are! Link is below. http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/vitamin-d-news/nutrition-survey-reveals-people-think-theyre-getting-more-vitamin-d-than-they-are/
If you're not getting enough Vitamin D, then you have a Vitamin D Deficiency. This mostly occurs in babies and children that are not getting any sun exposure or V.D. from food. Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption, and if you don't get enough V.D., it can result in weak bones, osteoporosis in old people, and rickets in children. This scenario is similar to the Mystery #2 in our Micronutrient Mysteries homework, where the baby still had a soft skull and wasn't able to crawl, resultant of weak bones from Vitamin D Deficiency!
Here is a link to see if your child is getting enough Vitamin D, and their risk of developing a deficiency!
Contrary to a Vitamin D Deficiency, overexposure to the sun can lead to skin cancer. Paler skin is at much greater risk of developing skin cancer, because more Vitamin D is produced! Watch this video to see the consequences of prolonged sun exposure, resulting in melanoma skin cancer.
-By Margot Palmer, 3B
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ReplyDeleteThe video that you posted was so touching to me. I am now definitely going to use sun screen all the time in the summers because sometimes I don't because my skin usually doesn't burn, but I know now that doesn't matter. I also liked how it related to me because I am 16, so I am guessing that is why you posted that particular video. It was also interesting to me that melanoma is the second largest cancer type young people tend to get. It is also really sad that paler people have a higher risk of getting skin cancer because more Vitamin D is produced because you would think Vitamin D was really good for you, but I guess this isn't a "win win" situation because you need the sun to get vitamin D, but the sun can also harm you. Also, what exactly is osteoporosis? And also can dark skin people also be people that are tan, but are white in the sense that they have a lower risk of getting skin cancer and they need more vitamin D? I think you did a really nice job in explaining everything about Vitamin did! I learned a lot, and I will use your information for my own benefit. Ex: comsuming more vitamin D foods and going out in the sun with sunscreen on. :)
ReplyDeleteEven though vitamin d can be received from the sun, i think it's probably better for a person to take in vitamin D from their diet instead, such as from foods like oysters, mushrooms, cod liver oil, fish, or eggs. For Hailey, osteoporosis is basically when the internal structure of bones disintegrates from a lack of calcium or exercise and strain on the bone, and gets worse as people get older and causes weak bones. Because of UV radiation, sun exposure should be avoided, but is still necessary, so i guess people just have to keep those things in balance. What do you advise people who stay out in the sun all day long, such as farmers who really don't have a choice in sun exposure? Is there a limit on Vitamin D that could cause the body to expel more causing a deficiency (rebound malnutrition) such as there was in vitamin C?
ReplyDeletethanks Robert!
DeleteHi Margot :) I thought your post was pretty well written but maybe lacking a little detail. You covered the general topics but it would have helped to explain the deficiencies and the results more in depth. One of my questions was how does your skin produce the Vitamin D with the sun exposure (the process)? And what about the time length of sun exposure? By that I mean is is there an exposure limit of the sun before someone develops skin cancer. My questions are probably a little more detailed than what we have gone over in class, but they're definitely something I'd like to find out is you have any answers.
ReplyDeleteThis was a good post about Vitamin D, and I like how you gave options of how to intake Vitamin D. I think this is good, because it make teens aware and be able to be healthier. It is important to take just enough Vitamin D from the sun, because it can lead to Cancer. But is there any harmful side effects if you intake to much Vitamin D through foods or supplements?
ReplyDelete