The primary function of vitamin D is to help the body maintain sufficient blood levels of calcium and phosphorous. Vitamin D also may guard against high blood pressure, certain autoimmune diseases and even cancer. Vitamin D plays a role in kidney function as well.
Effects
Healthy kidneys produce a form of vitamin D called calcitrol that helps the body absorb calcium, which in turn promotes strong bones. Insufficient levels of calcitrol can take away calcium from the bones. If the kidney's fail, the body may stop producing calcitrol, explains the National Kidney and Urologic and Diseases Information Clearinghouse.
Renal Osteodystrophy
Vitamin D may help people with a chronic kidney disorder called renal osteodystrophy. Renal osteodystrophy describes bone-related problems that occur in patients with chronic kidney failure. The disease develops when malfunctioning kidneys can't maintain normal levels of calcium and phosphorus in the blood. Renal osteodystrophy affects 90 percent of dialysis patients, according to MayoClinic.com.
High Blood Pressure and Kidney Function
Inadequate levels of vitamin D can increase the risk of high blood pressure. Research has found people with kidney problems may be particularly vulnerable to high blood pressure when D levels are too low. A study published in a December 2009 report in the "Journal of the American Society of Nephrology" says low vitamin D levels may explain African Americans' increased risk of kidney failure, called end-stage renal disease. Researchers analyzed blood levels of 13,328 participants in a health survey sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Lead researcher of the study was Michal L. Melamed, M.D., assistant professor, Department of Medicine and Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Considerations
Natural sources of vitamin D include salmon, tuna, cod along with fortified milk, juices and cereals. Most people require supplements to get the vitamin D they need, according to Harvard Health Publications. Vitamin D toxicity can occur in people who consistently take excess amounts of the this vitamin. Toxicity may cause bone loss and hypercalcemia. Hypercalcemia is a condition in which calcium levels in the blood exceed normal levels.
References
- Harvard Health Publications; Vitamin D and Your Health: Breaking Old Rules, Raising New Hopes; February 2007
- National Kidney and Urological Disease Clearinghouse; Low Vitamin D Levels Linked to Increased Risk of Kidney Failure
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; Renal Osteodystrophy; January 2005
- Mayo Clinic; Vitamin D; April 1, 2011
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Vitamin D; June 25, 2010
