MANILA, Philippines – Thanks to emerging medical evidence supporting its importance, Vitamin D, an erstwhile ignored vitamin, is fast gaining attention from medical professionals.
Recent medical journals including the one from the National Institute of Health confirm that Vitamin D is not only essential in bone health, but is likewise crucial to the prevention of chronic illnesses such as diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, hypertension, and certain types of cancer.
Even with all the testimonials to its benefits, most Filipinos still remain in the dark on how much of the vitamin is actually needed by the body as well as the things that can be done to achieve this on a continuous basis.
Dr. Alejandro Diaz of Philippine Neurological Association recommends a daily Vitamin D intake of 600 IU for Filipinos ages 1 to 70 years old and 800 IU for 71 years old and up. Anything less can put one at risk of severe bone degradation and other organ-related complications.
The best and most natural way to get the daily Vitamin D requirements is direct contact to the sun’s UVB rays. About 15-30 minutes of exposure to sunlight between 10am to 3pm is enough for the skin to produce the needed Vitamin D levels. However, this is not always advised due to possible implications to skin (think skin cancer).
Furthermore, this method may sound easy, but very few of us can religiously do this given the frenetic demands of modern day life and all. Filipinos working indoors or those working night shifts simply do not have the means to do it.
Those with darker skin, conditions causing fat malabsorption, and obesity issues have even more difficulties getting the essential amounts of sunshine vitamin due to their body’s inability to support proper Vitamin D synthesis.
One can get Vitamin D from various food sources, but the amount of food you need to consume to get the daily requirement is just out of the question.
Imagine, to get 400 IU of vitamin D, one has to consume 17 whole eggs, 88 ounces of cooked liver, four ounces of cooked mackerel, and 7 table spoons of fortified margarine.
Dr. Diaz believes that the most practical way to get one’s Vitamin D fix is to take supplements.
At the moment, there are low-priced, easily accessible, and over-the-counter Vitamin D supplements in the market that can supply the daily Vitamin D requirements of Filipinos. ADVT