Vitamin D is like a superhero for our bones and muscles. It helps us have strong bones and muscles. When we don’t have enough Vitamin D, our bodies can’t take in calcium, which is super important for our bones.
Kids who don’t have enough Vitamin D can get something called rickets. This makes their bones weak, their legs bend inwards, and their posture looks a bit funny.
Nowadays, doctors are noticing more kids with rickets. This article talks about why this is happening and what parents can do to keep their kids’ bones healthy and their own too.
What Is Vitamin D?
Vitamin D is a bit different from other vitamins. Vitamins are special things our bodies need but can’t make on their own, so we need to get them from what we eat or from pills. But our bodies can actually create Vitamin D when we’re out in the sun, so it’s more like a hormone.
How did we learn about Vitamin D?
A long time ago, when people started working in factories and going to school, a problem called rickets started showing up. This made kids’ bones weak, especially in places where it’s cold and there’s not much sunlight.
Around 1920, people noticed that kids who took cod liver oil didn’t get rickets. This got scientists interested, and they discovered Vitamin D and started telling people to add it to their diets.
Why are we talking so much about Vitamin D now?
New research shows that Vitamin D is not only good for strong bones but might also help prevent diseases when we grow older. It’s connected to our brains, hearts, mood, obesity, and even things like COVID-19. But here’s the thing: many kids today aren’t getting enough of it.
There are a few reasons for this. First, not many foods have a lot of Vitamin D. Even if you eat really healthy, you might not get enough. So, doctors recommend that kids take Vitamin D pills.
Our modern lifestyle is also a problem. Kids spend more time inside with screens instead of playing outside. They don’t walk to school as much, and many sports happen indoors. Kids also drink less milk and more sugary drinks. All of this makes it hard to get enough Vitamin D.
This affects kids’ health. They’re not as active as they should be, and they might become overweight. Kids need around 35 to 60 minutes of exercise each day to stay healthy and have strong bones. Related…..Exciting Exercise Ideas for Kids
But spending too much time inside affects how much Vitamin D our skin makes. Our skin can make Vitamin D when we’re in the sun, but too much sun is not good for our skin. It can even cause skin cancer.
So, what’s the solution?
The best way for kids to get enough Vitamin D safely is to take Vitamin D pills. It’s like a little helper to make sure their bodies stay healthy.
Vitamin D Deficiency:
Not everyone’s body has the same amount of a vitamin called D. This vitamin can be made by our bodies, but some people might not have enough of it.There are various factors that can lead to this situation:
- Skin color: If someone’s skin is darker, it’s harder for their body to use sunlight to make the vitamin.
- Not enough sunlight: People who live in places where the sun doesn’t shine as much, or where there’s a lot of dirt in the air, might not get enough sunlight. This can make it harder for their skin to make vitamin D. Also, if someone works at night or doesn’t leave their home much, they should try to get more vitamin D from food.
- Babies who drink breast milk: Doctors say that babies who only drink their mother’s milk should take a little bit of vitamin D every day.
- Older people: As people get older, their skin doesn’t make as much vitamin D from sunlight. Also, many older folks don’t go outside as much.
- People who can’t absorb fat well: Vitamin D needs fat to work. But some people have problems with their guts that make it hard to absorb fat. These folks might not get enough vitamin D from what they eat.
- People who are very overweight: If someone has a lot of body fat, their skin might not be able to use sunlight to make vitamin D as well.
- People who had a certain type of surgery: Some surgeries change how the body absorbs things. If someone had surgery that changed how their intestines work, they might not get enough vitamin D.
So, there are many things that can make it hard for our bodies to have enough vitamin D.
Symptoms:
Most people who don’t have enough vitamin D might not feel any different. But if you don’t have enough vitamin D for a long time, you could develop some problems.
One problem is not having enough calcium in your body, which can make your bones weak and cause other issues. There’s a small gland in your body called the parathyroid gland, and if you don’t have enough vitamin D, it can get confused and mess up the balance of certain things in your body, like calcium.
When this happens, you might start feeling:
- Your bones becoming more fragile, especially if you’re older.
- Your bones getting thinner, a condition called osteoporosis.
- Pain in your bones.
- Feeling tired a lot.
- Your muscles twitching.
- Your muscles getting weaker.
- Your muscles hurting.
- Your joints feeling stiff and sore.
If you don’t get enough vitamin D for a long, long time, it could lead to even bigger problems, like heart issues, problems with your immune system, trouble with your nerves, getting sick.
How much Vitamin D do we need?
Vitamin D is measured in something called International Units, or IUs. Experts from places like the Institute of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health have given some recommendations for how much Vitamin D kids should have:
- Babies aged 0 to 12 months need about 400 IU every day.
- Kids and teenagers aged 1 to 18 years need about 600 IU every day.
But these amounts are like the minimum to avoid rickets, a bone problem. They might not be enough for the healthiest bones.
New research says that kids over 5 years old, teenagers, and grown-ups should get at least 1000 IU every day to stay healthy. But the right amount depends on your age, how much you weigh, and how you’re growing. Some people might even need more than 1000 IU to have enough Vitamin D in their bodies.
Where can we find Vitamin D in our food?
There aren’t many foods that naturally have a lot of Vitamin D. You can find it mainly in certain kinds of fish. For example, in a 3-ounce piece of farmed rainbow trout, there’s about 645 IU of Vitamin D. Sockeye salmon, another kind of fish, has around 570 IU in the same amount.
Some foods have Vitamin D added to them. This is called “fortification.” Like, cow’s milk has some Vitamin D added to it, but an 8-ounce glass of 2% milk only has about 120 IU of Vitamin D. Fortified soy, almond, and oat milks have around 100 to 144 IU in each cup. Some cereals for breakfast also have Vitamin D added, but it’s usually a little bit, like around 80 IU. Eggs can have a bit of Vitamin D too if the chicken that laid them ate food with the vitamin.
Other dairy foods like yogurt and cheese usually don’t have extra Vitamin D added.
The only other food with quite a bit of Vitamin D is white mushrooms. If they’re raw and have been in sunlight, then 1/2 cup of them has about 366 IU of Vitamin D.
How can I make sure my child gets enough Vitamin D?
The easiest way is to give your child a Vitamin D supplement. This way, they can get the right amount, like 1000 IU, every day. To get the same amount from food, your child would have to eat a lot of fish or drink around 8 to 10 glasses of milk with added Vitamin D. But most kids don’t do that every day, especially in the winter. So, a supplement is a good idea.
What kind of supplements are good for kids?
There are special vitamins just for kids that have Vitamin D. They come in forms like gummy vitamins or liquid. Unlike calcium, which is better if you take it in smaller amounts, you can take all the Vitamin D at once. But remember, Vitamin D needs calcium to work well. So, it’s good to take it with calcium, either in a calcium supplement or a vitamin with calcium.
Are there kids who need more Vitamin D?
Yes, some kids need extra Vitamin D for their bones. If your child falls into any of these groups, they might need more:
- Kids who are overweight. They need extra Vitamin D because it goes into their body fat. When there’s more fat, there’s less Vitamin D in the blood where it’s needed.
- Kids who take medicines for seizures. These medicines make the body use more Vitamin D, so they need more of it.
- Kids with disabilities. If they can’t go outside in the sun a lot, they might need Vitamin D because their bodies can’t make it from the sun.
Remember, it’s important to check with the doctor before making any changes to your child’s diet or giving them any supplements. They can help you make the right choices for your child’s health.
How do doctors check Vitamin D levels?
Doctors can find out how much Vitamin D is in your body by doing a blood test. This test is called the “25 hydroxy Vitamin D test.” It tells them how much Vitamin D you have from what you eat and from the sun.
When the doctor knows how much Vitamin D is in your blood, they can tell you the right amount to take.
If your Vitamin D level is below 20 ng/mL, it might lead to bone problems. But if it’s more than 150 ng/mL, it can be harmful. Most experts say that having Vitamin D levels between 40 and 70 ng/mL is best. This helps your body use calcium for strong bones and keeps you away from bone issues.
What could happen if you take too much Vitamin D?
When taken in normal amounts, Vitamin D usually doesn’t cause many problems. But if you’re on any medications, you should be cautious. Vitamin D can react with lots of medicines, like ones for heart issues and high blood pressure. It’s a good idea to ask your doctor if it’s okay to take Vitamin D supplements.
Having too much Vitamin D can lead to some issues. You might not feel like eating, need to go to the bathroom a lot, feel sick in your stomach, and lose weight. If you take really high doses, you might feel confused, have pain in your bones, and even get kidney stones. So, it’s important to be careful with how much you take.
