This Vitamin Can Help Reduce Your Wedding Day Stress!

While social distancing is the need of the hour, being cooped up inside your home can deprive you of your fill of the sunshine vitamin, Vitamin D.  

However, being deprived of the strongest and most effective source of this vitamin, the Sun, does not have to take a toll on your health levels. Dr Harish Naik, consultant-neurosurgery, Hiranandani Hospital, Vashi-a Fortis Network Hospital says that very few people are aware of the benefits of Vitamin D3 in preventing infections and improving the overall health and well-being of humans.

Something that is of utmost importance to build your immunity as well as your mood. 

Dr Harish Naik says, "The symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency in adults include tiredness, aches and pains, and a general sense of not feeling well, severe bone or muscle pain, a weakness that may cause difficulty climbing stairs or getting up from the floor or a low chair, stress fractures, especially in your legs, pelvis, and hips."

Effects of Vitamin D supplements on mental health

He adds, "Most people in our country have insufficient levels of Vitamin D - the normal range is above 30. Even before the pandemic, we have seen cases where people's vitamin D deficiency ranged between 20-30, but during the pandemic, it has fallen less than 20. This is also true for persons with depression as well as other mental disorders. We have seen acute vitamin D deficiencies among such patients. Interestingly, research has shown that vitamin D might play an important role in regulating mood and warding off depression. In one study, scientists found that people with depression who received vitamin D supplements noticed an improvement in their symptoms."

The sunshine vitamin is also a must for building and maintaining healthy bones. It keeps your bones strong by helping your body absorb calcium, phosphorus, and key minerals for bone health. The continuation of calcium and vitamin D in a patient with bone loss and osteoporosis is critical for optimal care. Unfortunately, 90 per cent of women and older people may not be getting enough calcium and over 50 per cent of women treated for bone loss have inadequate Vitamin D levels.

Food sources of Vitamin D3

Fish
Cord-liver oil
Egg yolk
Shrimp
Milk (fortified)
Breakfast cereal (fortified)
Yoghurt (fortified)
Orange juice (fortified)

Apart from appreciating food sources people especially, women and the elderly need to regularly screen for Vitamin D deficiency through a pathological blood test and bone density test. This is significant for overall health and wellbeing.