Our Ayurveda practitioners are at hand to offer free telephone advice and basic home remedies during lockdown. Please also always consult your primary care provider for your health concerns.
Q: WHAT IS VITAMIN D?
A: Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays a role in immune cell function which helps to protect your body from disease. It is a hormone made by your body in a chemical reaction which occurs when your skin is exposed to adequate levels of sunlight. Vitamin D helps your body to effectively absorb calcium which helps your body to maintain healthy bones.
Q: HOW CAN VITAMIN D BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM?
A: The key functions requiring Vitamin D include the absorption of both calcium and phosphorous, as well as contributing to the boosting of immunity.
Q: WHAT ARE THE BEST SOURCES OF VITAMIN D?
A: There are 3 key sources of Vitamin D, Exposure to sunlight, Food sources and Vitamin D supplements. The most natural way to obtain Vitamin D is to expose your skin to sunshine, in the UK, between 10 to 20 minutes of sun exposure per day is usually recommended but this is dependent on the time of year and weather conditions. Vitamin D is only stored within your body for two months, so the Vitamin D accumulated during the summer will start to dwindle in the autumn months. Vitamin D3 is most commonly found in animal-sourced foods such as: Oily fish – tuna, salmon, sardines, Liver, Eggs, Cheese, Mushrooms, Fortified foods – cereals, orange juice. You can take a Vitamin D supplementation to boost levels within your body. There are specially formulated Vitamin D sprays especially if you struggle or dislike swallowing tablets. The Spray can enter the bloodstream quickly. Taking too much Vitamin D can cause a calcium build-up and lead to weak bones, kidneys and heart damage.
Q: WHAT ARE THE COMMON SYMPTOMS OF LOW VITAMIN D?
A: They are – Muscle weakness, Bone pain, Fatigue and tiredness, Muscle aches or cramps, frequent illness, these may also be because of other medical issues so please consult your primary care provider. Vitamin D deficiency is seen more in obesity and diabetes both of which are risk factors in Covid 19. Moreover Vitamin D deficiency leads to increase in thrombotic episodes which is also seen in Covid 19.
Q: WHY DO DARKER SKIN PEOPLE NEED TO BOOST THEIR VITAMIN D?
A: Melanin is a protective pigment found on the skin to block UV radiation. Less sun penetrates through the darker skin than the fairer skin. Darker skin needs 6 times more sun to get vitamin. Maybe this is a big difference between light and dark skin people when it comes to immunity – VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY. People who are unable to obtain adequate exposure to sunshine regularly and ethnic minority groups with dark skin are advised to take some form of supplement regularly all year round.
We will be running a short introductory course on Ayurveda in May 2021, please register your interest by emailing us at info@karmacentre.co.uk. Spaces are limited to 40 only.
If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact us @ info@keralaayurvedaspaclinic.com. If you need to contact us please call us on 0121 688 8080 or 0121 777 7007. Thank you and – Hope to see you soon!
