Problems With A Vitamin D Deficiency

According to a 2007 review article in the "New England Journal of Medicine," an estimated 1 billion people worldwide are deficient in vitamin D. Vitamin D is both a fat-soluble vitamin and hormone that plays many vital roles in the body. Vitamin D is synthesized in the skin upon exposure to sunlight, and it also may be obtained in the diet or with supplementation. Having adequate vitamin D in the body is essential to health, and so when a person is deficient in vitamin D, problems may develop.

Bone Health Compromise

Vitamin D must be present for the body to absorb calcium from the diet. The body carefully maintains constant calcium levels in the blood. With vitamin D deficiency, the body is unable to obtain sufficient calcium from food, so it instead pulls calcium from the bones. This can lead to a host of bone problems. In children, severe vitamin D deficiency leads to rickets, where the growing bones are inadequately mineralized, causing bowed arms and legs, delayed hardening of the skull and deformation of the rib cage. In adults, bone matrix is maintained but minerals are lost, resulting in pain and osteomalacia, or softening of the bones. Osteomalacia may further progress to osteoporosis---loss of bone density---which then increases an individual's susceptibility to bone fracture.

Muscle Weakness and Pain

The "New England Journal of Medicine" reports that vitamin D deficiency causes muscle weakness. Additionally, muscle pain and diseases associated with muscle pain, such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and depression, are regularly associated with low blood levels of vitamin D. Vitamin D supplementation may reduce symptoms of muscle pain and weakness and has been shown to diminish the risk of falling.

Compromised Immunity

Vitamin D plays a wide variety of roles in immune system function, and it is essential to maintaining a healthy immune system. The Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center at Oregon State University reports that a particular form of vitamin D---1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D---enhances innate immunity. Vitamin D deficiency makes an individual more susceptible to common colds and flu. Also, vitamin D deficiency plays a role in the development of autoimmunity, where the immune system attacks the body's own cells, as in multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Type 1 diabetes and Crohn's disease.

Susceptibility to Disease

According to a 2008 article titled "Use of Vitamin D in Clinical Practice," in "Alternative Medicine Review," many serious illnesses are associated with vitamin D deficiency, including the above-mentioned autoimmune conditions, as well as heart disease, autism, depression and cancer. The Linus Pauling Institute cites research that specifically correlates low vitamin D levels and incidence of cancer of the prostate, breast and colon.

Sufficient intake of vitamin D via sun exposure and oral supplementation may be a useful component in preventing a wide variety of prevalent diseases. Vitamin D levels in the body can be detected with a simple blood test, and a qualified health care provider can recommend appropriate sources and dosing of vitamin D.