Vitamin D Deficiency: Ways to Stop and Prevent It

What exactly is Vitamin D
Vitamin D is an inert prohormone whose primary function is to allow the body to use calcium that it normally cannot.  Vitamin D helps calcium in almost every stage of its use from the absorption of calcium out of the foods or supplements we take to the travel through the bloodstream to the bones where its most needed. Vitamin D though is useless to  the body in its normal form. The liver first changes the inert form into a form of vitamin D called Calcidiol.  Afterwards its the kidneys that change it further into Calcitriol. Calcitriol is the form that the body uses to absorb calcium. This is why its so important to have enough vitamin D to revent a deficiency.

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What happens if you have a Vitamin D Deficiency
It is the calcium deficiency that is caused by a vitamin D deficiency that is the main concern. In children, vitamin D deficiency can cause the disease known as Rickets. Rickets causes bones to not form properly and without enough strength needed. Bones may even become deformed. Luckily, Rickets can be cured with enough vitamin D as the bones then heal and fix themselves normally. Although it should still be looked out for, Rickets no longer is a common disease with proper diet and supplement vitamin intake.

In adults, vitamin D deficiency can lead to Osteomalacia, a weakening of the bones and muscles. Common symptoms include bone pain and muscles to lose their strength. These symptoms are not noticeable at first so it can be hard to detect Osteomalacia. Osteoporosis is a disease in adults where bones become brittle over a long period of time. Osteomalacia is the more extreme version of vitamin D deficiency.
Osteoporosis occurs when the body has difficulties in the building and maintaining of the bones’ structure and integrity. It is usually slower and over a longer time then Osteomalacia but can occur with lower levels of vitamin D in the body and not just deficient levels. Because of this, vitamin D is very important to take along side any calcium supplements to fight these diseases as both can build up unnoticed over time.

Sources of vitamin D
Vitamin D can normally be made by the body with the proper amont of sunlight but current lifestyles may make it difficult to get enough to prevent vitamin D deficiency. Ultraviolet light from the sun causes the skin to make Vitamin D. Even in the sunnier parts of the year it can be difficult with the use of suntan lotion to prevent sunburns and other unwanted effects of sunlight to the skin. In the colder times of the year most people will have a lot of clothing which also will block the sun from reaching the skin. Ultraviolet light needed for vitamin D creation only occurs if the sun rises high enough. For example, between November and February people living north of Boston or the northern border of California will not receive enough sun for their body to make its own vitamin D.

Vitamin D is not common in many foods so eating enough vitamin D can be difficult. Ocean fish like salmon, mackerel, and tuna have good levels of vitamin D. Other types of food with vitamin D are beef liver and egg yolks. Mushrooms that have been exposed to additional ultraviolet light can have some levels of vitamin D though naturally it does not occur in worthy levels. This is rare and is done for the sole purpose of adding extra vitamin D to the mushrooms.

Because of its scarcity in foods, vitamin D has been added to many foods. Milk and other dairy products such as yogurt can be fortified to prevent vitamin D deficiency. Orange juice and cold breakfast cereals also can have the vitamin added in.

One of the best sources of vitamin D is from a vitamin supplement. With the rise of organic food products, not all milk will be fortified with extra vitamin D. As natural vitamin D comes almost exclusively from animals, those on a strict vegetarian diet can have difficulties consuming enough of the vitamin. Vitamin supplements also have the   advantage that they can be combined together. This way you can be assured you get the right amount of both calcium and vitamin D at the same time.