Magnesium is needed for better effectiveness of vitamin D.
What is vitamin D? What is his role?
Vitamin D is essential to bone metabolism-vitamin D deficiency causes rissing in children-but its effects on health goes far beyond this aspect. It is considered by specialists as a quasi-hormone, with potential benefits throughout the body.
The benefits of vitamin D3
The links of vitamin D with the immune system are, in particular, very studied. Indeed, optimal levels of vitamin D decrease the risk of higher respiratory tract infections and the fact of missing it is associated with a less favorable outcome in the event of infections, especially respiratory. The vitamin D deficit is also associated with an increased risk of developing a autoimmune disease.
Where to find vitamin D so as not to miss it?
Vitamin D, essential to bone health, is mainly manufactured by the skin exposed to the sun, but can also be provided by food and food supplements. Many people suffer from a vitamin D deficit in winter in particular and must therefore take supplementation.
Vitamin D3 and Sun
There Vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol is produced in the skin from the pioneer of cholesterol (7-Achistryrochlesterol) under the action of the ultraviolet B rays of the sun. Lanutrition.fr recommends exposing the largest possible skin surface of the sun (preferably at midday) from April to October 2 to 3 times a week, 15 to 30 minutes per day.
In practice, the French cannot synthesize vitamin D between the end of October and that of March due to the latitude. The beautiful days are a unique opportunity to ensure better reservations. At noon in the summer sun, we can produce 1,500 to 10,000 IUs of vitamin D just by exposing 10 to 20 % of his body such as torso, back, arms.
But even with sun exposure in summer, vitamin D stocks are generally exhausted in November, a daily vitamin D supplement can then be necessary during the winter period.
What foods are rich in vitamin D3 and D2?
Food is not the main source of vitamin D. However, certain foods such as fatty fish represent an interesting additional vitamin D source. This is particularly the case with cod liver oil (be careful however, it is not recommended in the long term because of its excessive vitamin A content), of the salmon, smoked herring, tuna, or egg yolk For example.
For vegetarians and vegans, some foods of vegetable origin contain vitamin D: this is the case of mushrooms such as the morels, porcini mushrooms and mushrooms which contain vitamin D, in its form D2, less active. From 12 IU/100 g for Paris mushrooms to 204 IU for the same quantity of morels, passing by 124 IU for porcini mushrooms.
A vitamin D treatment to counter deficiency: what dosage for adults?
Take the advice of your doctor before any supplementation because the needs vary with age, corpulence, skin color, geographic location, etc. Some people particularly need supplementation, this is the case for pregnant women, overweight and even the elderly.
The daily dose
For all, children and adults, in prevention of deficiencies and deficits, adequate supplementation can generally be considered from 600 to 1000 IU (25 µg) per day in the cold season, from October or November. Some authors advise daily doses between 2000 and 5,000 IU.
When to take vitamin D? The dosage of vitamin D to find out if it is too low
To check your vitamin D status and know if you need supplementation, you can make a blood analysis to have your vitamin D concentration dose.
For the European Food Agency (EFSA), a serum vitamin D rate (25-hydroxyvitamin D) measured during a blood analysis reveals a deficit when it is lower than 20 ng/ml (50 mmol/l).
But for several learned companies including the endocrinology society of the United States, the rate should not be lower than 30 ng/ml (75 mmol/l).
Why is magnesium essential to vitamin D?
A study suggests that, without magnesium, vitamin D supplementation loses its effectiveness. Let’s see why.
Magnesium: what you need to know
Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body. It plays an important role in bone mineralization and heart health. Many organs need it and it is essential to the functioning of the cell
The vitamin D and/or magnesium deficit is associated with many disorders, such as cardiovascular disease. Another example of a common point between magnesium and vitamin D: magnesium limits the risk of bone fracture and osteoporosis, roles also attributed to vitamin D.
Magnesium to convert vitamin D in form 25- (OH) of active form
In a journal published in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Associationtwo researchers show that there are interactions between vitamin D and magnesium. On the one hand, vitamin D stimulates the absorption of magnesium. On the other, the latter allows you to activate vitamin D; Enzymes that metabolize vitamin D need magnesium.
More specifically, in the body, vitamin D must be converted with its inactive form or under which it is stored (25 (OH) d) into an active form called 1,25 (OH) 2D, which exercises its biological functions. However, magnesium is an enzymes cofactor present in the liver and kidneys which are used for the metabolism of vitamin D. To benefit from the health assets of vitamin D, it is therefore essential to have enough magnesium.
Mohammed Razzaque, one of the authors of the article, explains: “People take vitamin D supplements, but do not know how it is metabolized. Without magnesium, vitamin D is not really useful or safe. »» Patients who have correct magnesium levels need less vitamin D supplements to obtain sufficient levels. The researcher adds: “By consuming an optimal quantity of magnesium, one can be able to reduce the risk of vitamin D deficiency, and to reduce dependence on vitamin D supplements” Add the researcher.
Without magnesium, vitamin D is not really useful or safe
In practice: where to find magnesium?
Daily magnesium recommendations are 420 mg for men and 320 mg for women. According to researchers, a standard western diet provides only half of these quantities. People who eat a lot of processed products, rich in refined cereals, fats, phosphates and sugars, also have more risk of lacking magnesium, because refined products lose magnesium during their transformation.
Foods of magnesium are almonds, bananas, beans, broccoli, full rice, cashews, egg yolk, fish oil, green vegetables, mushrooms, squash, sesame, sunflower, sunflower, corn, soy, full cereals … For example a banana brings 30 mg of magnesium, 100 g Brown 44 mg and 100 g of tofu 52 mg.
Read also: The best sources of magnesium
Insofar as the French study SU.VI.MAX has shown that 75 % of men and 77 % of women are below the recommended nutritional contribution, the use of food supplements containing magnesium is also advised.
