Locked up at home, where do I get vitamin D now?

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"Get in the sun, which is great for vitamin D!" We have all been given this advice at some time and it is true that part of the vitamin D that runs through our veins is synthesized in the skin thanks to ultraviolet radiation. The problem is that, being confined, we see the star shooting slowly and a concern has been generated (more) in the quarantine: if we barely expose ourselves, do we need a supplement? Let's start by seeing why this vitamin is so important.

What is vitamin D for?

The best-known function is to help the body absorb calcium from food and supplements. Calcium is a key mineral in the bones, so people with vitamin D deficiency may have weak, thin and brittle bones.

This disorder is called rickets in children, and osteomalacia in adults. But there is still more. It is very important in muscle movement, in the transmission of messages in the nervous system and also in the immune system with the beautiful task of fighting viruses and attacking bacteria. This sounds very interesting, and more these days, right? But it is also somewhat more complicated than it seems.

Is it true that vitamin D prevents Covid-19?

Vitamin D is relevant in modulating the immune response. It is true that numerous epidemiological data suggest that a deficiency can increase the risk of infectious diseases. Some studies show that lower levels of vitamin D occur in patients with pneumonia. And there are also clinical trials in which, supplying high doses of it in ventilated patients in the ICU, decreased the hospital stay. But we should not turn the omelette. That the lack of vitamin D increases the risk of does not mean that by gorging ourselves on supplementation we are going to prevent it. To date, no studies have been found that describe vitamin D values ​​in patients with Covid-19, nor clinical trials that determine its efficacy in these patients. Therefore, the currently available evidence is insufficient to support or not its use in the prevention of infections.

What do the health authorities say about supplementing?

Given that, as we commented, there is no scientific evidence available either for or against, as of today there is no official recommendation by the Ministry of Health, nor by the WHO, that we should systematically supplement with vitamin D for the fact of being confined. This recommendation could take place at some point, but at the moment there is not.

Does the sun serve from the window?

The one who, as the song says, has a patio in his house that is particular ... Congratulations! You can go for a daily walk, which will not only be good for vitamin D in particular, but for your general state of soul. For those of us who don't have a patio in our house, don't worry! Not everything is lost! We just need to have something more accessible at home like a balcony or even a window. A possible recommendation would be to sunbathe at the window for 15 minutes a day, with your face, neck, hands and arms uncovered. Let's do it well! The window must be open to favor the complete passage of radiation. It is important to clarify that the proposed recommendation on the time and frequency of sunbathing in the window is only approximate because the synthesis capacity of vitamin D depends on many factors.

Among them, the phototype of the individual's skin, their age (the capacity for synthesis decreases with age), the time of day when they sunbathe or the season of the year in which we find ourselves since the intensity of radiation is variable. Pollution and cloudiness can also decrease the amount of solar radiation that reaches the Earth's surface (and this is more or less how we have been in many parts of the country for twenty days). In any case, we should not prolong direct sun exposure for more than 15 minutes without protection.

And in the diet?

It is considered that 80-90% of vitamin D in humans comes from skin synthesis through the action of UVB radiation. This means that the percentage of vitamin D that comes through the diet in general is low. Even so, these days more than ever we must strive to consume foods rich in vitamin D to try to avoid a possible deficit.

What foods?

It is mainly found in blue fish, egg yolk, dairy or some types of mushrooms, in addition to certain fortified foods. Vitamin D values ​​can be variable depending on the "state" of the food. Mushrooms, for example, are very rich in vitamin D only if they have been irradiated for five to 10 minutes or have been treated with UV rays. The way of cooking also influences: frying fish reduces its vitamin D content by approximately 50%, while cooking does not affect it.

Eating three or four servings of fish per week, distributing them between blue fish and white fish is a good way to contribute to our goal on vitamin D. Of course, remember that children under ten and pregnant or lactating women they should not take bluefin tuna, pike, swordfish and shark, due to the high content of mercury.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

• Science and health
• Coronavirus
• Covid 19

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