Vitamin D is praised again! Research shows that it is a great helper for immunity

This article was reviewed by Pa Li Ze, chief physician of nutrition, member of the Science Popularization Committee of the Chinese Nutrition Society

Vitamin D is an important nutrient in the human body. Many people take it as a supplement to improve their immunity, but can it really help regulate the immune system?

A recent study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) concluded that vitamin D supplementation in middle-aged and elderly people over 50 years old can prevent autoimmune diseases.

This study is very scientific, and more than 20,000 middle-aged and elderly subjects were randomly divided into two groups: one group was given long-term vitamin D supplementation, and the other group was not. A five-year follow-up clinical trial found that the risk of autoimmune diseases in the group that received vitamin D supplementation was reduced by 22% compared with the group that did not receive vitamin D supplementation.

It can be concluded that vitamin D supplementation can effectively prevent autoimmune diseases, at least in people over 50 years old.

Vitamin D is a "health all-rounder"

In addition to regulating immune function, vitamin D also provides the following benefits to the body:

Copyright image, no permission to reprint

1. Strengthen bones

It can promote calcium absorption, prevent osteoporosis and rickets, and help strengthen bones.

2. Cancer prevention

To prevent the occurrence of certain tumors, vitamin D supplementation can reduce the risk of tumors.

3. Protect the heart and brain

Vitamin D3 can release hormones for the thyroid gland in the neck, regulate plasma calcium levels and lower blood pressure, thereby preventing the occurrence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

4. Reduce the risk of diabetes

For diabetes, vitamin D supplementation for patients with vitamin D deficiency can improve insulin resistance, promote insulin secretion, and thus reduce the risk of diabetes.

5. Improve your mood

Patients with moderate to severe depression showed improvements after taking vitamin D supplements.

6 types of people are most likely to be deficient in vitamin D

Clinically, the following groups are often found to be prone to vitamin D deficiency and need to be vigilant:

Pregnant and breastfeeding women

Breastfed babies

People who spend most of their time indoors

Seniors aged 65 and above

People with darker skin (their skin is less able to produce vitamin D from sunlight)

Obese people (their body fat binds to vitamin D, preventing it from entering the bloodstream)

A blood test can determine whether there is a vitamin D deficiency and can be tested once a year during physical examinations (this indicator is abbreviated as serum 25-OHD on the test report).

Note: If you find the following problems, you should also suspect the possibility of vitamin D deficiency⬇️

Copyright image, no permission to reprint

Frequent inflammation or infection that is difficult to recover from; feeling depressed, especially in winter; feeling tired all the time; joint pain, weakness in limbs; feeling muscle pain.

Two ways to supplement vitamin D

Principle: Those who are deficient need to supplement, and those who are not deficient do not need additional supplementation, so it is recommended that you go to the hospital to test your serum first to see the vitamin D content in your blood.

1. Sunbathing

The simplest, most effective and safest method is sunlight exposure.

Vitamin D will be automatically formed when exposed to sunlight. In spring, summer and autumn, go to the sun for 15 to 20 minutes every day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., 3 to 4 times a week, and expose your legs, arms and face as much as possible.

2. Food supplements

Salmon, sardines, tuna, egg yolks, milk and their products all contain vitamin D. If possible, you can choose fortified foods. Infant formula is fortified with vitamin D. AD-fortified liquid calcium milk is also available on the market. Orange juice is also fortified with vitamin D.

Source: CCTV Life Circle

Author: Gu Weijun, Chief Physician, Department of Endocrinology, First Medical Center, PLA General Hospital

The watermarked images and cover images in this article are from the copyright gallery, and the image content is not authorized for reprinting