What Vitamin D Deficiency Causes?
Introduction
Deficiency in vitamin D is one of the most familiar underlining health conditions that precipitate other health hazards in the human race. Deficiency in vitamin D is a medical condition where you lack the requisite amount of the Vitamin in your body. This Vitamin is essential to make your body function optimally.
Some diseases such as rickets in children, bone pains, muscles weakness are what vitamin D deficiency causes in the body. This Vitamin is one of the crucial vitamins the body needs to absorb calcium, responsible for strong bones. The Vitamin also harnesses magnesium, phosphates, and many others.
You can get Vitamin D through three different ways - skin exposure to sunlight, food, and supplements. It assists in balancing your immune and nervous systems. We have answers here to some pertinent questions as it concerns what vitamin D deficiency causes?
What are the Symptoms of Low Vitamin D?
Lack of vitamin D significantly causes rickets , a bone disease in children which can affect their growth patterns.
Check out this video on Rickets in children and what you should watch out for.
Low vitamin D level in adults is also problematic. Symptoms of low vitamin D includes, but are not limited to the following:
- Fatigue.
- Bone pain and back pain.
- Muscle weakness, muscle aches, or muscle cramps.
- Mood changes, like depression.
- Regular sickness or infection.
- Impaired wound healing.
- Hair loss
Is Vitamin D deficiency serious?
Yes, it is serious as it leads to rickets in children, bone weakness in adults and other diseases.
Illnesses linked to vitamin D deficiency are:
- Respiratory illness.
- Osteoporosis (bone weakening).
- Depression.
- Risk of Schizophrenia (severe brain disorder).
- Dementia (loss of memory, including Alzheimer's disease).
- Diabetes.
- Prostate cancer.
- Severe Erectile dysfunction.
- Heart disease.
- Breast cancer.
What is the main cause of Vitamin D Deficiency?
The main cause of vitamin D deficiency is the lack of exposure to sunlight.
At Autumn and Winter, vitamin D levels usually drop. Excellent sources of vitamin D include oily fish, liver, egg yolks, and fortified food. You might also be at an increased risk if you are:
- Vegetarian.
- Dark-skinned.
- Elderly.
- On sunscreen.
- Indoors always.
- Covered up when outdoors.
Can Lack of Vitamin D cause Weight Gain?
Being fat can be a risk factor for vitamin D because Studies show that fat people will lose weight when they take vitamin D supplements, with a good diet and exercise.
Some researchers posit that vitamin D may suppress the growth of fat and increase serotonin levels, which has a link with appetite and higher levels of testosterone, which supports weight loss.
How can I raise my Vitamin D Levels Quickly?
You can achieve this in three ways:
- Exposing your skin to sunlight for 5 to 30 minutes between 10 am and 3 pm daily or at least twice per week.
- Taking a vitamin D supplement with your doctor's supervision.
- Raising your foods intake that is rich in vitamin D.
How Long does it take to Correct a Vitamin D Deficiency?
It takes three to four months on a complete dosage of vitamin D supplement
What are the food sources of vitamin D?
It is expedient to increase your intake of foods that contain a substantial amount of vitamin D
Good sources are fish (salmon and tuna), fish oil, fortified milk, eggs, cereals, cod liver oil, trout, mushroom, fortified dairy and non-dairy milk, sardines, liver, and Cheese. These foods have about 20% of your daily value of vitamin D.
Can too much Vitamin D be Harmful?
Yes, taking excess vitamin D supplements can be harmful which become toxic to your body. Some signs include nausea, poor appetite, thirstiness and urination, weakness, constipation, weight loss, kidney damage, confusion.
Overexposure to the sun will not lead to poisoning as the body takes the required amount. Your doctor's recommendation is essential when you desire higher doses.
Can medications cause vitamin D deficiency?
Yes, some medications can reduce vitamin D levels . They are:
- Laxatives.
- Steroids.
- Cholesterol-reduction drugs.
- Seizure-control drugs.
- Tuberculosis drug.
- Weight-loss drug
Your doctor should know your vitamin D medications or other supplements that you take.
How is vitamin D deficiency treated?
Your doctor can request a blood test for diagnosis to measure your levels of Vitamin D. The Vitamin has two types (D2 and D3). D2 comes from plants, while D3, which lasts longer in the body, comes from animals.
Find out from your doctor if you need to take a vitamin D supplement and how much if needed.
How often do you have to check vitamin D levels?
Doctors do not order routine checks of vitamin D levels. They might check your status if you have certain medical conditions or risk factors for vitamin D deficiency.
In other words, they can investigate the vitamin D level when you have, for example, body pains, fall history, or fracture of the bone with no trauma.
How is vitamin D supplement administered?
The quantity of vitamin D required per day for people who are sound health-wise differs by age. The recommended daily dosage of vitamin D according to age are as follows:
- Infants (0-12 months) - 400IU (10mcg)
- Children (1-18 years) - 600IU (15mcg)
- Adults up to 70 years - 600IU (15mcg)
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women - 600IU (15mcg)
How is vitamin D managed in Cold Season?
During autumn and winter, Public Health England advises everyone to take a 10mcg daily vitamin D supplement from October to March. The recommended doses are:
- 8.5-10mcg every day for breastfed babies from birth to 1Year.
- 10mcg every day for children aged 1-4 Years.
- 10mcg daily for at-risk adults - elderly or dark-skinned.
Is sunlight exposure for vitamin D worth the risk of skin cancer?
Yes, exposure to the sun for 10-15 minutes at least twice a week is harmless. Too much exposure can have a side effects on the body.
If you are likely to get sufficient vitamin D through food, increasing your vitamin D through sun exposure is not worth the risk of skin cancer.
Conclusion
The complete wellness of any individual is what everyone desires to function optimally in every human endeavor; health, they say, is wealth. Rickets in children, muscle weakness, pain in the bones, depression in adults, and some other diseases are what vitamin D deficiency causes.
During Spring and Summer, good exposure to the sun will boost your vitamin D levels. If you must be in the sun for long, it is necessary to cover yourself well or wear sun protection to save yourself from sun damage and skin cancer.
To nip in the bud this health challenge, you have to do the following to build and maintain the required Vitamin D content in your body:
- Get enough exposure to sunlight.
- Get sufficient vitamin D in your diet.
- Get vitamin D supplements in the right way and doses with the close supervision of your healthcare provider.
Links
1. https://medlineplus.gov/vitaminddeficiency.html
2. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-d-deficiency-symptoms
3. https://www.everydayhealth.com/news/illnesses-linked-vitamin-d-deficiency/
4. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318060#treatment
5. https://www.medicinenet.com/vitamin_d_deficiency/article.htm
6. https://yumyum-mama.com/blogs/news/benefits-of-vitamin-d
7. https://www.verywellmind.com/symptoms-of-too-much-vitamin-d-5105134
8. https://thriva.co/hub/vitamins/what-causes-vitamin-d-deficiency
9. https://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/features/the-truth-about-vitamin-d-drug-interactions
12. https://youtu.be/rlwBzkuaQOY
