비타민D의 중요성: 서울대생 96% 비타민D 부족 “공부하느라 햇볕 못 쬐…”

서울대생 96% 비타민D 부족 “공부하느라 햇볕 못 쬐…”

조형국 기자 situation@kyunghyang.com

 

             

 

서울대는 지난 4~5월 학부생과 대학원생 5239명을 대상으로 2013년 학생 정기건강검진을 실시한 결과, 비타민D 결핍 또는 부족인 학생 비율이 96.2%(남학생 95.7%, 여학생 96.6%)로 조사됐다고 24일 밝혔다. 남학생 39.5%, 여학생 51.5%는 비타민D 부족(혈중 농도 10~20ng/㎖)을 넘어 결핍 상태였다. 비타민D는 근골격계 강화, 각종 암·심혈관 질환 예방, 면역력 강화 등에 도움이 되지만 부족하면 구루병, 경련, 근력 저하, 호흡기 및 심혈관 질환 등을 유발할 수도 있다.

서울대생의 평균 혈중 비타민D 농도는 남학생 11.5ng/㎖, 여학생 10.6ng/㎖로 권장치(20ng/㎖)와 한국 20대 성인 평균(남자 18.1ng/㎖, 여자 16.1ng/㎖)에 미치지 못했다. 비타민D는 대부분 태양 자외선을 받았을 때 체내에서 합성돼 ‘햇빛 비타민’으로 불린다. 실내에서 지내는 시간이 많거나 피부 노화를 이유로 햇빛을 피하면 비타민D가 부족할 수 있다. 실제로 서울대 학생 중 45%는 “하루 평균 야외활동 시간이 30분이 채 안된다”고 응답했다. 조희경 서울대 보건진료소 교수는 “비타민D를 합성하려면 충분한 야외활동이 필요하지만 실내에서 공부를 하느라 해를 자주 보지 않은 게 원인으로 보인다”고 말했다.

 

오상훈 선교사의 보충 자료(시간을 내어서 번역해드리겠습니다):

 Vitamin D is different from other essential vitamins because our own bodies can manufacture it with sunlight exposure. The main function of vitamin D is to regulate the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in our bones and aid in cell to cell communication throughout the body.

Top 5 Health Benefits of Vitamin D

   

Regular exposure to sunlight allows our skin cells to use ultraviolet-B rays to synthesize vitamin D, which has several benefits, including:

 

1.It helps the intestine absorb nutrients, including calcium and phosphorus. This ensures strong bones and a strong immune system.

2. Vitamin D prevents osteomalacia and rickets. Osteomalacia, which causes weakness of the muscular system and brittle bones, is most prevalent among adults with vitamin D deficiency. Rickets is a skeletal deformity mostly seen in children with vitamin D deficiency.

3. Vitamin D provides calcium balance in the body that prevents osteoporosis or arthritis.

4. Vitamin D regulates blood pressure, reduces stress and tension, relieves body aches and pains by reducing muscle spasms, reduces respiratory infections, helps in differentiation of the cells, aids in insulin secretion, helps fight depression, improves overall skin health by reducing wrinkles, makes skin soft, strong, and smooth, and improves cardiovascular strength by providing a protective lining for the blood vessels.

5.Vitamin D is recommended in the treatment of several diseases. It may prevent preaclamsia by improving kidney function, cancer by controlling abnormal multiplication of cancer cells, diabetes mellitus by controlling insulin production, hyperparathyroidism by reducing parathyroid numbers, osteomalacia by improving bone and muscle strength, hypophosphatemia by controlling the phosphates in the body, hypocalcaemia by preventing abnormal deposition of calcium, and renal osteodystrophy by regulating calcium content and fibromyalgia.

The benefits of vitamin D can be obtained by increasing exposure to sunlight and including vitamin D rich foods into your diet like fish, cod liver oil, milk, and eggs. Fresh fruits and vegetables are also good sources of vitamin D.

Although vitamin D supplements are not as effective as synthesizing vitamin D naturally by the body, they are still effective in treating several medical conditions. Vitamin D fortified food products and fortified milk can also provide this essential nutrient to our body.

 © Newsmax. All rights reserved.

 

How much vitamin D do I need?

The information below relates to people who do not have adequate exposure to direct sunlight.

United States

According to the Institute of Medicine of The National Academies⁴, which created the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs), people should be intaking the following amounts of vitamin D if nothing is being synthesized (no or inadequate direct sunlight exposure to the skin):

• 1-70 years of age: 600 IU/day (15 μg/day)
• 71+ years of age: 800 IU/day (20 μg/day)
• Pregnant/lactating: 600 IU/day (15 μg/day)

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends⁵ that exclusively or partially breastfed babies should receive supplements of 400 UI per day shortly after birth, and when they are weaned they should consume a minimum of 1,000 mL/day of vitamin D fortified formula or whole milk. Non-breastfed infants consuming less than 1,000 mL/day of vitamin D-fortified formula or milk should receive a vitamin D supplement of 400 IU per day.

The Academy also recommends that older children and adolescents who do not get 400 IU per day through vitamin D fortified milk and foods should take a 400 IU vitamin supplement each day.

The Vitamin D Council recommends higher supplementation than most, at 1,000 IU per day for infants and children and 5,000 IU per day for adults. According to the council, "some researchers believe that there isn't enough evidence to support taking higher amounts of vitamin D yet. on the other hand, some researchers believe that research is proving, or will prove, that taking lower amounts isn't enough."

Vitamin D and nutrition

Over the last few hundred years human lifestyles have changed. The industrial revolution resulted in more indoor work and less exposure to sunlight.

Many societies around the world wore more clothing over the centuries, further reducing skin exposure to sunlight. These changes have brought with them a significant reduction in the natural production of vitamin D and subsequent diseases.

Countries responded to these changes by fortifying some foods with vitamins D₂ and D₃, examples include breakfast cereals, bread, pastries, oil spreads, margarine, milk and other dairy products.

Initially, some scientists complained that nutritional fortification and recommended supplementation doses were not making up for the shortfall. These people were ignored, and sometimes ridiculed - however, over the last few years studies indicate that they may have been right after all.

Not that many foods contain vitamin D. Some fish, such as salmon (447 IUs per serving), tuna (154 IUs per serving) and mackerel (388 IUs per serving), as well as fish liver oils (just one tablespoon offers 1,360 IUs) are considered to be the best sources. Vitamin D is also present in beef liver, cheese and egg yolks. Most of these are Vitamin D₃. Some mushrooms provide variable amounts of vitamin D₂.

Most of the food-sourced vitamin D in the western diet comes from fortified foods - where vitamin D is artificially added. Most US milk is fortified with 100 IU/cup of vitamin D. In the 1930s milk was fortified in many countries to combat rickets, which was a major health problem then.