[Vitamin D Episode 3] How Much Vitamin D Should You Take? | Dr. Esther Yeo

[Vitamin D Episode 3] How Much Vitamin D Should You Take? | Dr. Esther Yeo

Dec 13, 2024Ehotyshamull Joy
The lack of vitamin D in South Koreans is severe
Why do Koreans have low levels of vitamin D in their blood?

Vitamin D is not found in many of the foods that modern humans eat. It is found in blue fish, mushrooms, milk, butter, eggs, etc., but only at an insignificant level. The foods with the highest vitamin D content per unit gram are animal intestines, including liver. Primitive man had no reason to be deficient in vitamin D. Primitive man ran around with his bare skin exposed in the sun, hunted animals, and ate their entrails whole. However, modern man does not like to expose his skin to the sun for cosmetic reasons or because of skin cancer.

 

In the United States, it is said that it is best to bask in the sun directly...

The National Institutes of Health recommends that the best way to synthesize vitamin D is to expose your face or limbs directly to the sun at least twice a week between 10 a.m. and 3 a.m., for at least 20 minutes at a time, without sunscreen. In this case, about 200 IU of vitamin D is produced. Exposure to the sun, which causes erythema in the middle of summer, can produce 10,000 IU of vitamin D, but prolonged exposure to strong UV rays is not good for skin health. In summer, it is recommended to bask in the sun 2~3 times a week, before 11 am or after 4 pm. However, this is a level that prevents a deficiency of vitamin D.

 

But sunscreen prevents this!

Even if a sunscreen has a sun protection factor (SPF) of more than 80,000, the skin will hardly synthesize vitamin D. However, the sunscreen cream you use should have at least SPF 15. In addition, vitamin D synthesis occurs through UVB rays, which have a shorter wavelength than UVA, which has a longer wavelength than UVA. UVB rays do not pass through glass, so vitamin D cannot be synthesized in a room trapped inside glass, even if you are exposed to sunlight. This means that it is difficult for modern humans to synthesize enough vitamin D through their skin.

 

In addition, vitamin D intake is significantly insufficient

Nor can we force them to eat animal intestines. Butter is high in saturated fat, so I don't eat dairy products because it hurts my stomach, and I don't eat blue fish often because it's hard to bake. Shiitake mushrooms, which are known to be rich in vitamin D, are rarely sun-dried these days, and most of them are hot air dried. Hot air dried mushrooms contain less vitamin D. Cooking and blanching also cause vitamin D loss. As a result, unlike other vitamins, vitamin D intake through food is only about 100IU, about 10~20% of the recommended daily intake.

 

Severe Vitamin D Deficiency in Modern Humans

That is why the lack of vitamin D in modern man is at an acute level. The U.S. fortified cereals and milk with vitamin D to prevent rickets for more than 20 years. Despite such efforts, blood levels of vitamin D in Americans remain low. According to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Examination in the United States, in 2010, 42 percent of Americans were deficient in vitamin D blood levels of less than 20 ng/ml.

 

Especially in our country...

In our country, the situation is much worse. According to a 2014 survey conducted by the Seoul Institute of Medical Sciences, 86% of adolescents aged 18~20 and 71.1% of the adult population had vitamin D blood levels below 20ng/ml. According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service in 2011, more than 16,000 people with vitamin D deficiency were treated by doctors. In 2005, a multi-center international study conducted by Professor Seung-Gil Lim of Yonsei University School of Medicine and others found that among adult women from 18 countries around the world, Korean women ranked last in blood vitamin D concentration. Even the vitamin D deficiency of Korean women was worse than that of women in the Middle East, who wore chadors all their lives. It's hard to believe, but in the late Joseon Dynasty and the Japanese colonial era, newborns with rickets are often born in the delivery rooms of major university hospitals in recent years. Women in our country This is because they don't eat properly due to their usual diet, and they block too much sunlight for fear of skin aging. If the mother lacks vitamin D in her blood, the fetus's bones are bent and born.

 

 

People who are more likely to be deficient in vitamin D
Elderly: As we age, our skin, kidneys, and liver function deteriorate dramatically as our ability to produce vitamin D decreases dramatically. Compared to younger adults, older adults have a 75% reduced ability to produce vitamin D.
- Women, smokers, and non-smokers: Women are more likely than men to be vitamin D deficient, and smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to be deficient in vitamin D. People who don't exercise often also spend less time in the sun, so their vitamin D blood levels are bound to be low.
- People with kidney and liver disease: Vitamin D is activated in the body through the liver and kidneys, but if you have liver or kidney disease, your ability to activate vitamin D decreases.
- People who take long-term medications: Gastrointestinal medications that are added to protect the stomach when analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed, anticonvulsants, and steroids used for rheumatoid arthritis or atopy are some of the most common medications that cause vitamin D deficiency. If you take any of these medications for more than six months, you should be careful not to develop a vitamin D deficiency.
According to the U.S. National Medical Association's vitamin D standards...
The National Academy of Medicine defines vitamin D toxicity as consuming more than 10,000 IU/day and having a blood level of 200 ng/ml or higher. However, you need to have a safe zone from normal to toxic levels, so I would recommend taking up to 4,000 IU per day and keeping your blood level within a maximum of 60 ng/ml. There are slightly different opinions on this point, so it's best to consult with your doctor who knows your body best.
 
Remember, dosage 2,000 IU
Usually, a dose of 100 IU is needed to raise blood levels by 1 ng/ml. If you take it now, the increase in blood level will not appear until after 3~4 months. I believe that the dosage should be 2,000 IU to maximize the effect while minimizing the potential for side effects. It is often reported that people who consume 2,000IU of vitamin D a day and are exposed to ultraviolet rays for 10~15 minutes reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer by 50~60%. This is especially true when people get enough vitamin D during their growth and growth than when they consume it as adults.
Daily administration is also important to maintain concentration
The 600 IU recommended by the U.S. National Medical Association is too small given the situation in our country, where vitamin D intake is very low. In fact, a large-scale randomized clinical trial at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in the U.S. also has a daily dose of 2,000 IU. When 2,000 IU is administered, blood levels rise by 20 ng/ml. If your vitamin D blood level is 20 ng/ml, which is the threshold for determining whether it is normal or abnormal, it means that if you take 2,000 IU for 3~4 months, it will go up to 40 ng/ml. Then at least it will be a 'woo'. If your vitamin D blood level is 10 ng/ml, which is a dangerous level for a deficiency, it will rise to 30 ng/ml when you take 2,000 IU. This corresponds to the 'Mi' level. It is important to note that even if the target blood level is reached, adults need to take about 1,500~2,000 IU of vitamin D every day to maintain a blood level of 30 ng/ml. Children and adolescents should also receive 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day to maintain sufficient blood levels.
Vitamin D-only formulations are also a good option
Usually, a multivitamin contains about 100~200IU of vitamin D. The product that entered a lot is around 400 IU. Therefore, in order to maintain adequate blood levels of vitamin D, it is recommended that you take a vitamin D-specific formulation in addition to a multivitamin. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Dietary Supplements, 37% of Americans take vitamin D supplements in nutritional supplements. To recap, discuss your vitamin D intake with your doctor, but aim for a vitamin D blood level of around 30 ng/ml, or around 40 ng/ml if you're feeling a little greedy.
How much food do you need to eat to get 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day?
200ml of milk or yogurt contains approximately 100~200IU of vitamin D. A 50-gram serving of blue fish, such as tuna and sardines, contains about 120 IU of vitamin D. The food with the highest amount of vitamin D per unit gram is the black ear mushroom, which is often used as an ingredient in japchae. Dry black ear mushrooms contain 440 μg of vitamin D per 100 grams. Most people know that shiitake mushrooms have a lot of vitamin D, but black ear mushrooms have a higher vitamin D content than shiitake mushrooms.
To get 1,000IU of vitamin D per day, you need to eat at least 7~8 pieces of blue fish every day. You should eat 10 cups of milk or yogurt daily or 5~10 servings of dried cereal. Mushrooms should also be looked for sun-dried, not hot-air dried.
Korean men get angry when their wives give them cereal in the morning, saying that they lack sincerity. However, when it comes to vitamin D intake, it's better to eat vitamin D-fortified cereals and low-fat milk than hearty Korean food made with rice, soup, and herbs.


More articles

Comments (0)

There are no comments for this article. Be the first one to leave a message!

Leave a comment