There are few reasons why you could be struggling with a Vitamin D deficiency. In fact, over 1-billion people are Vitamin D deficient.
Unfortunately, diagnosing vitamin D deficiency is not always that easy, especially if you are unfamiliar with the symptoms. Let’s take a quick look at some of the reasons this can happen.
YOU DON’T EAT MUCH FOODS THAT CONTAIN VITAMIN D
Most of the that are Vitamin D rich have animal origin, made from fish and fish oils, beef liver, egg yolks, and fortified dairy products.
If you’re vegan, of course, you don’t eat this type of foods. Hence, unless you consume supplements to make up for it, you’re likely to suffer from a Vitamin D deficiency
YOU HAVE A DARKER SKIN TONE
The pigment (melanin) that tans or darkens your skin reduces the skin’s ability to produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. The darker your skin, the less likely it is to make vitamin D even when you are in the sun.
LIMITED SUNLIGHT EXPOSURE
Since your skin only produces vitamin D when exposed to the sun, if you don’t go out often you are likely to be deficient.
For example, if you are home buddy or work in a workplace that avoids sun exposure, you are at greater risk.
Living in northern latitudes can make this possible, as can wearing long robes and headwear for religious reasons. Dirt or pollution can keep you from getting enough sunlight. The season and time of day are also important. strongest between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
YOU ARE UNABLE TO ABSORB VITAMIN D OR DIETARY FAT
Some clinical conditions, like Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, and cystic fibrosis, can restriction your intestine’s capacity to truly take in the Vitamin D you’ve consumed. Since it’s a fats-soluble vitamin, this holds actual for soaking up nutritional fats as well.
YOU HAVE A KIDNEY DISEASE
As we age, our kidneys slow down and reduce our ability to convert vitamin D into the active form your body needs. Kidney disease or damage can do the same thing, leading to vitamin D deficiency.
YOU ARE OBESE
If your body mass index is 30 or more, you may be at serious risk of vitamin D deficiency as fat cells extract vitamin D from the blood and release it into circulation.
WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY
Surgeries that reduce the size of the stomach or bypass sections of the digestive system can make it difficult to consume adequate amounts. of vitamin D, along with other vitamins and minerals.
You will need to be closely monitored by your doctor and you will likely need to take vitamin supplements for the rest of your life.
TAKE IN OF CERTAIN MEDICATION
There are several medications that can cause vitamin D deficiency, including laxatives, which (obviously) cause vitamin D and other nutrients to be removed from the digestive system before they are absorbed, and steroids, which decrease calcium absorption and affect the metabolism of vitamin D.
Cholesterol-lowering drugs like statins and colestipol (and oral cholesterol-lowering drugs) can reduce vitamin D synthesis because vitamin D is made from cholesterol.
Seizure control drugs such as phenytoin, phenobarbital, and rifampin (a drug used for tuberculosis) are also known to affect vitamin D levels. Orlistat (a weight loss drug) may decrease the absorption of vitamin D.
Additionally, thiazide diuretics such as hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) and indapamide can reduce the amount of calcium excreted in the urine, so combining these drugs with vitamin D supplements can cause hypercalcemia.
OLDER AGE
Our skin’s ability to produce vitamin D from sunlight decreases. Our kidneys also slow down, so you may have enough vitamin D in your blood, but your kidneys just can’t turn it into an active form for your body to use.
How a Deficiency Affects You
The reality is that if your body doesn’t produce enough vitamin D, it can destroy your system.
This includes:
Heart Disease and High Blood Pressure
A growing number of scientific studies indicate vitamin D deficiency as a risk factor for heart attacks, heart failure and peripheral devices. arterial disease (PAD), Stokes and hypertension.
Vitamin D is also known to regulate blood pressure in the kidneys.
Bone Disorders and Osteoporosis
Your bones are constantly being remodeled. However, as you get older (especially if you are a woman through menopause), rates of breakdown exceed rates of bone accumulation. Bone density decreases over time.
Osteoporosis is a result of long-term calcium and / or vitamin D deficiency. Bones also depend on the muscles around them for strength, and vitamin D is required for muscle tissue to grow and develop properly.
Diabetes
Vitamin D helps your body regulate the amount of blood sugar.It also helps to improve your body’s sensitivity to insulin, the hormone your body makes to regulate blood sugar. otherwise.
Therefore, vitamin D can prevent insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes.
Infections
Before modern antibiotics were invented, some infections (such as tuberculosis) were treated by giving the patient plenty of sunlight and taking cod liver oil daily.
The relationship between Vitamin D deficiency and an increase in infections is proven in several studies.
Autoimmune Disorders
There is growing evidence that low levels of vitamin D in the body are linked to some autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), inflammatory bowel disease, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Patients with these disorders tend to have lower scores. of vitamin D than patients without autoimmune disease.
Certain Types of Cancer
Vitamin D prevents abnormal cells in the tissues of the breast and colon from multiplying. This can help prevent and possibly even treat breast and colon cancer, and possibly prostate cancer.
Pregnancy Complications
There may be a link between low vitamin D levels in pregnant women and the risk of preeclampsia and premature delivery. There may also be a connection with gestational diabetes.
Women with low vitamin D levels are more likely to get bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy. It is important to note, however, that consuming too much vitamin D can be associated with an increased risk of the child developing food allergies in the first two years of life.