Could a missing vitamin be quietly affecting your health?

Sometimes, you just feel off for no particular reason. You might be tired, achy, or even notice unusual changes in your body. It’s easy to blame it on an illness, but often, the real culprit is vitamin deficiency.

One most overlooked deficiency is Vitamin D, which plays a crucial role in many body functions. It can boost your immune system and potentially lower the risk of certain respiratory infections. When we don't get enough, our health can suffer in many ways: sleep problems, waking up tired, hair loss, weak bones, and sore muscles. And of course, there's that persistent fatigue and low mood, which many of us are quick to attribute to stress.

While many believe that getting enough sun can already make up for it, this isn’t always the case. Factors like diet, lifestyle, and supplements can help our bodies produce more of this vitamin.

Understanding the risk factors

Even though we live in a tropical country like the Philippines, many factors can still put us at risk for Vitamin D deficiency.

However, it’s not just about being out in the sun; it's about how much Vitamin D your body can produce and use. For instance, if you have "morena" or darker skin, you’ll need more sun exposure to produce the same amount of Vitamin D as someone with lighter skin. Limited sun exposure due to indoor jobs, night shifts, or simply avoiding the sun also reduces your intake. Other factors include smoking, obesity, chronic stress, and lack of sleep.

In case you didn’t know, Vitamin D deficiency was already common in the Philippines even before the COVID-19 pandemic changed our daily routines. A 2013 study from the 8th National Nutrition and Health Survey showed that the National Capital Region had the highest percentage of population with vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency at 54.1%, while Davao del Sur recorded the lowest at 28.9%. A more recent study done in 2019 found the Philippines' overall deficiency rate to be 44.7%—a slight difference from the 48.7% reported in the 2013 NNHeS. It still means that, despite our sunny climate, many Filipinos aren't getting enough of this vital nutrient.

Is sunshine the only solution?

The best natural way to get Vitamin D is through sun exposure. Most literature recommends aiming for 5-30 minutes of sun, exposing about 30% of your body without sunscreen, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., either daily or at least twice a week. You can also get some Vitamin D from food like fatty fish (salmon, tuna), fish liver oil, and dairy products.

However, given how challenging it can be to consistently meet our needs through sun exposure and diet alone, a pure Vitamin D3 supplement like Colecalciferol Vitamin D3 (Forti-D 2000) can be helpful, along with proper diet and exercise. In addition to supplying essential Vitamin D, it helps protect you from deficiency, which may be associated with a higher risk of chronic diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, and osteoporosis, when taken with proper diet and exercise.

Colecalciferol Vitamin D3 (Forti-D 2000) helps correct deficiencies and maintain healthy levels with proper diet and exercise. If you are Vitamin D deficient, taking 2,000 IU is recommended. It is within the maximum Philippine daily limit and one-half of the maximum dose of the international recommendations.

Taking Colecalciferol Vitamin D3 (Forti-D 2000) supplements, combined with sun exposure, a balanced diet, and exercise, helps to ensure you have sufficient Vitamin D. And when you do these, you're not just fighting off tiredness and low moods, you’re investing in your long-term overall wellbeing.

If symptoms persist, consult your doctor. ASC Ref Code: U0140P102925F

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