Vitamin D deficiency:
- Dietitian.Lauren Hmede
- Apr 30, 2019
- 2 min read
Vitamin D Deficiency Signs and Symptoms
Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin needed for calcium absoprtion. Vitamin D deficiency results in brittled and weakened bones. Children who don't get enough may end up with a disease called rickets, and adults with vitamin D deficiency are at a greater risk for osteoporosis.
The adequate daily intake of vitamin D is from 200 to 600 International Units (IU).
Three ounces of salmon contains about 800 IU, a cup of milk has just over 100 IU, and one serving of fortified breakfast cereal usually has about 40 IU vitamin D.
Symptoms
People with vitamin D deficiency may experience bone pain and muscle weakness although the symptoms may be very mild at first.
Children who have rickets suffer from soft bones and skeletal deformities. Deficiency in adults will cause osteomalacia, which is a condition that makes your bones weak.
Doctors usually ask for tests in order to measure the levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D which is used to detect any deficiency.
Insufficient levels of vitamin D has been linked to diabetes, hypertension, multiple sclerosis and some forms of cancer. However, more research is needed to determine if vitamin D can prevent or treat any of these disorders.
Causes
Not getting exposed to sunlight and low dietary intake has been linked to deficiency. People at risk of vitamin D deficiency are breastfed infants, older adults, housebound individuals, and people with dark skin.
Individuals who have fat absorption problems due to conditions such as Crohn's disease, cystic fibrosis, gastric bypass surgery, or have liver or kidney conditions may not get enough vitamin D from their diets.
You need sun exposure to make vitamin D, but it only takes 5 to 30 minutes of sun exposure on your face, arms, and legs or back twice each week without sunscreen to stimulate sufficient vitamin D production. Excessive exposure to sunlight has been linked to cancer so sunscreen is a must.
Vitamin D is not available in many food sources and it is rare but you can find it mainly in oily fish and especially cod liver oil. Beef liver, eggs, and cheese also contain small amounts. Vitamin D is added to some foods like milk and fortified breakfast cereals.
Can You Get too much?
Excessive sunlight exposure will not result in vitamin D toxicity. Rather getting too much vitamin D from supplements or eating large amount of cod liver oil.
Taking large amounts of vitamin D can lead to a toxicity that causes nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, constipation, weakness, and weight loss.
High blood levels of vitamin D may also raise your blood levels of calcium, possibly resulting in mental confusion and abnormal heart rhythms. You need to consult your doctor before taking vitamin D supplements and you need to follow instructions on label.
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