People with insufficient lactase enzyme are unable to digest milk and other dairy foods containing the milk sugar lactose. This condition, known as lactose intolerance, causes gastrointestinal symptoms when the individual eats dairy foods. The management of lactose intolerance may require restricting or limiting foods containing lactose. Avoiding milk and dairy foods removes a major source of calcium and vitamin D from your diet, placing you at risk for deficiencies.
Vitamin D Importance
VItamin D plays several key roles in the body. The vitamin increases the efficiency of calcium absorption and is essential for building and maintaining strong bones. Higher amounts of vitamin D are required during periods of rapid growth in childhood and adolescence. Vitamin D is also central to nerve and muscle function, regulates the immune system and reduces the inflammatory response.
Vitamin D Deficiency
People deficient in vitamin D have a higher risk of developing bone conditions. During childhood, insufficient vitamin D may cause rickets, a bone condition marked by poor growth and skeletal deformities. Later in life, low vitamin D may result in osteomalacia, a disease of soft bones. Insufficient vitamin D increases the lifelong risk of osteoporosis.
Vitamin D Sources
Vitamin D occurs naturally in only a few foods, particularly fatty fish. Most Americans obtain significant vitamin D from fortified foods such as milk, orange juice and cereal. In addition to dietary sources, the body produces vitamin D upon exposure to sunlight. However, many individuals in the northern hemisphere do not receive enough sunlight in the winter months to produce sufficient vitamin D. Sunblock is important for reducing the risk of skin cancer from ultraviolet light in sun, but it also limits vitamin D production.
Vitamin D Supplements
The Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences revised the recommended dietary intakes of vitamin D in 2010 after reviewing all the scientific and clinical data. Adults and children in the United States and Canada should receive 600 IUs of vitamin D daily. Adults age 71 and older may require 800 IUs. These guidelines include people who receive little sunlight exposure. As with any new supplement, consult your doctor to find out if a vitamin D supplement is right for you.
