With adequate exposure to ultraviolet rays found in sunlight, your skin manufactures vitamin D-3. This nutrient is also found in salmon, sardines, tuna and mackerel, and to a lesser degree in egg yolks, beef liver and cheese. Milk, cereals and orange juice are fortified with vitamin D-2, a type of vitamin D produced by plants. Levels of vitamin D should be monitored by a health care professional.
Rickets
Your body uses vitamin D to regulate calcium and phosphorus. If calcium is in short supply, the vitamin causes increased mineral absorption from foods. If other sources are lacking, vitamin D makes your bones release calcium into the bloodstream in order to maintain balanced electrolytes that ensure a regular heartbeat and muscular strength. Inadequate vitamin D during childhood softens bones, a condition known as rickets. Symptoms of rickets include muscle weakness and pain in the back, pelvis or legs. Children affected by rickets exhibit delayed growth, a curved spine, bowed legs and a protruding breastbone. Rickets is treated with vitamin D supplements and calcium.
Osteoporosis
In adults, vitamin D deficiency causes a loss of bone density. The hormone estrogen slows the breakdown of bones. After menopause, women who have naturally lighter and thinner bones than men are at increased risk of osteoporosis. In Barcelona, Spain, researchers tested 324 patients over the age of 65 who were treated for broken hip fractures due to bone loss. Eighty percent of the subjects were women. Those with lower levels of vitamin D had more severe fractures than patients with higher levels of the sunshine vitamin. The study was published in the March 2011 issue of "Osteoporosis International."
High Blood Pressure
Low vitamin D levels in your blood may put you at risk for cardiovascular disease. Blood pressure is elevated when the kidneys secrete a substance called renin, which leads to the release of angiotensin, a blood vessel constricting substance, and aldosterone, a hormone that causes fluid and sodium retention. Adequate levels of vitamin D are thought to lower blood pressure by suppressing the secretion of renin. In an article published in the November 2010 issue of "Expert Review of Cardiovascular Therapy," Austrian researchers state that vitamin D may also reduce inflammation and protect blood vessels from damage that leads to stroke or heart attack.
Depression
Vitamin D receptor cells are found in brain and nerve tissues, although the role of this nutrient in mental health is not clear. In a study of 7,970 in people aged 15 to 39, vitamin D deficiency was associated with a greater incidence of depressive episodes compared to subjects of similar socio-economic backgrounds whose vitamin D levels were adequate. The research, part of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, was published in the November 2010 "International Archives of Medicine."
References
- MayoClinic.com: Rickets
- "Osteoporosis International"; Hypovitaminosis D as a Risk Factor of Hip Fracture Severity; Larrosa, M. et. al.; March 2011
- "Expert Review of Cardiovascular Therapy"; Role of Vitamin D in Arterial Hypertension; Pilz, S., Tomaschitz, A.; November 2010
- "International Archives of Medicine"; Serum Vitamin D Concentrations are Related to Depression in Young Adult US Population: the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; Ganji, V. et. al.; November 2010
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