How to know if you have a vitamin D deficiency

When Dr. Anthony Fauci, who acknowledges most of the so-called “boosting the immune system”, is supplemented with covid-1am, mostly “doing nothing,” believing in the benefits of vitamin D.

“If you have a vitamin D deficiency, it affects your susceptibility to infection. So I don’t mind recommending it, and I take vitamin D supplements myself,” said Fawcett, 79. Said during Instagram Live on. 10.

But whether you have a vitamin D deficiency or not and how much supplement you need is difficult. In fact, medical professionals have been debating the effectiveness of regular vitamin D screening and supplement recommendations for years.

“You’re wandering in a way,” says Make It to CNBC. Dr. Clifter Clifford Rosen, an endocrinologist and professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine, has studied vitamin D for over 30 years.

Here’s what you need to know from three experts.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in building and maintaining muscle and overall bone health. People who are deficient in vitamin D can develop soft, brittle bones.

The primary source of vitamin D is direct sunlight and can also be found in foods such as fatty fish (salmon, tuna and mackerel), mushrooms and milk.

In addition, researchers at the University of Chicago Medicine found a link between vitamin D deficiency and the possibility of infection with covid-1 – which is more likely to be tested positive in untreated people, according to a study published in September. (The National Institutes of Health released a statement last updated in July stating that “there is insufficient data to recommend for or against the use of vitamin D for the prevention or treatment of covid-19.”)

According to a study published by NIH in 2014, researchers In 35% of adults and about 50% of infants said to have vitamin D deficiency.

Without a blood test (more on that later), it’s hard to say. Early signs of vitamin D deficiency are subtle even if they do exist. According to experts, you can not show any symptoms.

But vitamin D deficiency can lead to skin aging and dry skin, said Dr. S. S., a dermatologist at Huntington Hospital in Northwell Health. And over time, acute illness can lead to muscle weakness and bone fractures, says Paul Thamas, a registered dietitian nutritionist and scientific adviser to the Office of National Institutes of Dietary Supplements.

Studies have also shown that prolonged vitamin D deficiency can lead to bone diseases in adults and children.

“The only way to know if you have a vitamin D deficiency is to get a blood test done by your doctor,” says Thomas.

For all medical professionals, however, regular testing for vitamin D is not a good idea.

Regular testing for vitamin D can be controversial among medical professionals.

For example, the National Endocrine Society (NES) and the Institute of Medicine Medicine (IOM), for example, recommend limiting vitamin D testing to certain patients (such as those at risk for weak bones or with some severe conditions). Rosen and Madan also say that not everyone needs vitamin D supplements, only those who have confirmed deficiencies and experience symptoms, Madan says.

One criticism of routine vitamin D testing is that it can be time consuming and expensive for insurance companies. Out-of-pocket costs for vitamin D tests can range from 40 to 5 225. According to Kaiser Health News. And in general, most vitamin D tests are covered by health insurance.

Another issue is that extensive vitamin D testing can result in unnecessary treatment of patients. “That leads to a lot of people taking high doses of vitamin D,” says Rosen.

There are concerns around taking too much vitamin D – according to the NIH, too much vitamin D can cause nausea, weakness, constipation and weight loss. Severe vitamin D toxicity can cause confusion, disorientation and problems with heart rhythm.

In addition, there is not much scientific evidence that taking vitamin D is helpful if you do not have any deficiencies. It is safe to take small doses, says Rosen (600 IUs to 800 IUs daily – IUs or international units, is the measure in which pills are sold), but “whether it is effective is really the question.”

To date, research around vitamin D supplementation has not yielded clear results. Its effectiveness will not be established until researchers conduct randomized controlled trials on the effects of vitamin D supplements to prevent chronic diseases and acute infections such as Covid 19, Rosen says.

On the other hand, Boston University Professor of Medicine and Director of the Bonus Health Care Clinic, Vitamin D researcher Dr. Michael Hollick, who chairs an expert panel writing NES guidelines, believes in the effectiveness of vitamin D and thinks of everyone. It should be taken.

Holic draws attention to his research and other studies that suggest a link between low levels of vitamin D and high rates of various diseases. According to Holick’s 2010 book, Vitamin D Solution, “Vitamin D deficiency is extremely common and supplements can save many people from a number of diseases associated with the deficiency, including heart disease, cancer and osteoporosis.” “Low vitamin D levels associated with cardiovascular events and some cancer risks.)

Holic refers to the NES recommendation, which, to guarantee adequacy of vitamin D, is approximately 1500-2000 IU of vitamin D supplementation daily for adults. “For obese people, they need two to three times more,” says endocrinologist Holick.

The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements does not recommend whether or not to take fee supplements, but says that the daily upper limit for adults is 4,000 IU.

Holly has been criticized, however. In 2018, The New York Times reported that Holly received thousands of dollars from the vitamin D supplement industry over the years for her research. Holly told the Times that the industry’s funding “does not impress me in terms of talking about the health benefits of vitamin D.” And Hollick tells CNBC’s Make It that he stands behind his peer-reviewed, published science and always discloses financially.

According to Thomas, when your intake of sunlight and / or food is sufficient, natural vitamin D is made in your blood. “If your vitamin D blood levels are good enough in late summer, they can stay adequate during the winter … if you get a little vitamin D from food.” And while exposure to excessive sun exposure for other reasons is unhealthy, it will not cause vitamin D poisoning because it limits the amount of vitamin D the body naturally produces, according to the NIH.

As far as food is concerned, “Vitamin D-only foods contain oily fish like wild catfish, salmon, which contain about 600-1000 IU of vitamin D. Mushrooms are exposed to sunlight and liver oil. Eight ounces of milk or orange vitamin D Is strong. “100 IU,” says Holick.

Holly also recommends getting a “sensible sun exposure” for “some” vitamin D, but warns that “you can’t make any important vitamin D before 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., even if you live in the United States.” And if you wear sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 30, it will reduce your ability to make vitamin D in your skin by 97.5%, he says.

Holly helped them develop an app called Diminder to help them find out how much vitamin D is coming from the sun.

Thomas says people should consult their own healthcare provider before taking any vitamin D supplements.

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