Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin which plays critical roles in the human body, for instance, bone health, immune support, and calcium regulation.

However, the statistics show that the deficiency of vitamin D is rampant and affects millions of people all around the world.

Vitamin D deficiency can be termed one of the most common nutritional and health disorders in the United States.

It is prevalent among the elderly as well as those who expose themselves to very limited sunlight. This paper presents the role vitamin D plays, its effects due to deficiency, its available supplementation options, and risk factors of its insufficiency levels.

Vitamin D is a nutrient, essential for keeping the bones and teeth strong and healthy, for proper immunity, a healthy brain and nervous system, and to regulate insulin.

Overall, vitamin D promotes an increase in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in the intestines, allowing the body to supply enough minerals for bone and teeth formation.

Vitamin D can be gained from sun exposure, some foods, and a vitamin D supplement.

There are two forms of vitamin D: the plant-based form is vitamin D2, or ergocalciferol; and the form made in the human body when the skin is exposed to sunlight or ingested in foods that come from animals is vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol.

Both have to be processed within the liver into 25-hydroxyvitamin D, or 25 OH D, which represents the major form of vitamin D circulating in blood and can be measured to assess status for vitamin D.

Vitamin D deficiency perhaps constitutes the most common medical condition among all age groups and populations of the United States of America.

Certain elements of the population are more susceptible to deficiency than others are, such as older populations, individuals with dark pigmentation, obese individuals, or those deprived of large amounts of exposure to sunlight.

Vitamin D deficiency leads to numerous health-related complications. These include the increased susceptibility to osteoporosis, a weakened immune function, and rickets among children.

Vitamin D deficiency subjects people to risks such factors as susceptibility to osteoporosis, impaired mechanisms of the immune system, and even rickets in children.

Such persons do not obtain adequate vitamin D either from the sunlight or from food.

The most important natural sources of sun exposure are vitamins D, and there are several conditions that limit the ability of the body to synthesize sufficient amounts of vitamin D-from geographical location to staying indoors, and the application of sunscreen.

Sunlight is such a strong mediator of maintaining the levels of vitamin D wanted within a body, and though it could be very practical or applicable to everybody, it is impossible and not advisable at all.

The manifestations of deficiency in vitamins may be mild or severe depending on the seriousness of deficiency and a patient's general health. The common symptoms of this condition are:

• Bone pain and muscle weakness

• Poor fatigue condition and exhaustion

• Increased susceptibility to infection

• Mood changes, including depression

• Wound healing will also be impaired

In its extremes, it leads to rickets in children, where there is soft bones and muscles that are weak.

In adults, it leads to osteomalacia-a softening of the bones with an increased susceptibility to fractures. All these conditions remind us to have our levels of Vitamin D in the blood within proper ranges to ensure wellness.

The 25 OH D test of the blood is the traditional means of determining the level of vitamin D.

It quantifies the amount of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the blood, regarded as being the most accurate way to determine how much vitamin D is available in the system.

Vitamin D is commonly expressed in two of the most commonly used units: ng/mL or nmol/L.

The conventional general cut-point for indicating deficiency is less than 20 ng/mL, and similarly less than 50 nmol/L. Levels between 20 and 50 ng/mL are assumed adequate for bone health and overall.

Levels greater than 50 ng/mL indicate values above the generally accepted cut-point for indications of vitamin D excess and possible risk for toxicity.

There are several risks to the human species which place it at a risk of vitamin D deficiency, including;

People living in northern latitudes or limited areas with few sunshine hours cannot get enough UV from sunlight to produce enough vitamin D.

Greater melanin content results in darker skin color, creating less vitamin D production from sunlight.

Older adults are often deficient in vitamin D, primarily due to less time spent outdoors; they often are mainly indoor-dwelling.

Those consuming very small amounts of animal product, such as vegans, get very little vitamin D from the diet.

Vitamin D is metabolized out of stores in excess body fat and thus may be less available for use in older adults with obesity.

A systematic review and meta-analysis was able to show that vitamin D deficiency is rampant throughout the world, with increased prevalence among older adults and populations in countries that have less exposure to sunlight.

The results of this study suggest that patients that are deemed at risk for deficiency should be screened regularly and possibly supplemented with vitamin D.

The lack of vitamin D limits the ability of the body to absorb calcium, a material used for building and strengthening bones. This may, therefore, lead to conditions such as osteoporosis among the elderly, rickets among children.

Vitamin D, therefore, maintains the balance of the immune system. Experimental studies demonstrated that deficiencies in vitamin D concentrations may increase infections, ranging from common cold up to influenza.

Many studies confirmed that vitamin D deficiencies can contribute to a variety of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases.

These are generally recommended for patients who are at risk and likely to be deficient in vitamin D.

Vitamin D supplements: There are two forms, namely, vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 is often more effective at maintaining adequate levels of vitamin D in the blood compared to vitamin D2.

The dosages of the vitamin D supplement vary according to age, the condition of health, and the degree of deficiency.

Most adults receive 600 to 800 IU of vitamin D daily so that they maintain good levels of a healthy body.

The individual in serious deficiency might sometimes have increased dosages as recommended by a health care professional.

Vitamin D and calcium come together as a package in maintaining healthy bones.

If there is not enough vitamin D in the body, then it is incapable of taking up the necessary amount of calcium, which makes the bones thin.

There are many vitamin D supplements nowadays that contain calcium.

Therefore, it ensures well absorption of the calcium and helps to promote bone health.

This is very much recommended for elderly individuals as well as postmenopausal women, since they are very prone to osteoporosis.

Sunlight is one of the richest natural sources of vitamin D, formed when skin is exposed to the ultraviolet B rays of the sun.

The quantity of vitamin D produced varies greatly according to when during the day it is produced, where this takes place, and your skin pigmentation.

Vitamin D supplementation, in addition to the consumption of foods that come with vitamin D, is of utmost importance for those who spend most of their days in places with limited sunshine, especially over winter.

There are ways to avoid having vitamin D deficiency or at least keep maintaining the amount that is healthy in one's body prevention of Vitamin D Deficiency.

Or at the very least, maintaining the right level in the body demands remedial measures.

Exposure of the skin to sunlight for between 10 and 30 minutes a number of times during the week increases vitamin D levels.

This may not be feasible for some individuals who live in areas with northern latitudes or very few opportunities for direct outdoor exposure.

Fish, particularly fatty fish, mackerel, and salmon, contain significant amount of vitamin D.

This may lead to a production of additional vitamin D and will provide the vitamins too. Milk, egg yolks, and fortified cereals are also well known to be very rich in vitamin D.

Therefore, supplementation becomes a sure bet for those who cannot get enough through the sun or food.

The health care provider can guide the individual as to the dosage and deficiency level needed.

Vitamin D should be maintained within an appropriate range within the body to ensure the maintenance of proper bone health, immunological functions, and prevention against chronic diseases.

Due to its very wide prevalence among all populations groups especially those of higher risk, such as aged and those with lesser sun exposure, unfortunately, vitamin D deficiency can be clinically managed by increasing sun exposure, dietary alteration, and supplementation.

This helps protect the body against any bone-related conditions such as osteoporosis and rickets.

Thus, vitamin D level tests through a 25 OH D test can be conducted on a periodic basis in order to check serum levels so that deficiency may be developed in an early stage and prevent any sort of long-term health complications.

* Medical Disclaimer - The following information is for educational purposes only. No information provided on this website, including text, graphic, and images, are intended as substitutes for professional medical advice. Please consult with your doctor about specific medical advice pertaining to your condition(s).