Your Health With A Vitamin D Deficiency

Vitamin D belongs to the group of vitamins called fat-soluble vitamins. These vitamins require the presence of dietary fat in order to be properly absorbed. Vitamin D contributes to bone health and may help prevent the development of some cancers and diabetes, according to "Nutrition and You" by Joan Salge Blake. If you do not get enough vitamin D on a daily basis, you can develop a vitamin D deficiency.

Physiology of a Vitamin D Deficiency

A variety of different conditions can cause a vitamin D deficiency. Some of the most common causes are lack of exposure to sunlight or lack of vitamin D in the diet. Vitamin D deficiency can also develop as a result malabsorption disorders that interfere with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. Some kidney and liver disorders can also prevent your body from converting vitamin D from the sun and food into an active form that can be used by the body.

Vitamin D and Bones

Vitamin D is a necessary factor in the absorption of calcium and phosphorous, which both contribute to bone health. When you lack vitamin D in your body, the levels of calcium and phosphorus in the blood decrease. As a result, your bones become weak and brittle. If vitamin D deficiency occurs in children, it leads to a bone disease called rickets. Children with rickets have weak bones and often poor growth and development. In adults, lack of vitamin D can lead to osteomalacia or osteoporosis. The bones diseases caused by a vitamin D deficiency lead to an increased risk of fractures.

Symptoms

In addition to weakened bones, a vitamin D deficiency can also cause a variety of different physical symptoms. These symptoms include muscle weakness, muscle aches and bone pain.

Risk Factors for Deficiency

Infants who are strictly breast-fed and not given any formula are at an increased risk of developing a vitamin D deficiency because breast milk does not contain sufficient amounts of vitamin D. Individuals with darker skin are also at an increased risk of developing a vitamin D deficiency because they can't synthesize as much vitamin D as someone with lighter skin, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. Increasing age, obesity and chronic diseases, such as Crohn's disease and cystic fibrosis, also increase your risk of developing a vitamin D deficiency.

Avoiding a Deficiency

Because not everyone receives enough vitamin D from the sun, recommended daily allowances for the vitamin are based on food intake only. To avoid a vitamin D deficiency, it is important to consume enough vitamin D through your diet. Both male and female adults up to age 50 require 5 micrograms, or mcg, of vitamin D daily to meet their needs. As adults age, vitamin D needs increase. Men and women between the ages of 50 and 70 require 10 mcg, and men and women over the age of 70 require 15 mcg. The best sources of vitamin D include fortified milk, fortified cereals, yogurt and fatty fish like salmon and mackerel, according to "Nutrition and You" by Joan Salge Blake.