Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin produced by the body as a reaction to sunlight. Vitamin D aids in calcium absorption and helps regulate phosphate levels. Adequate levels of vitamin D are essential for healthy bones. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to serious health problems in children and adults.
Steps
Step 1. Assess your risk factors
Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency generally don't appear until the condition is severe. Learning the risk factors for vitamin D deficiency can help you decide whether you should get a medical test that can confirm the diagnosis of low vitamin D.
- Age: children and the elderly are the groups most at risk. Children are rarely exposed to the sun and do not ingest much vitamin D from their diet. Older people need more vitamin D than young adults and may not spend enough time outdoors due to mobility problems.
- Sun Exposure: The body can synthesize vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. People whose occupation or lifestyle limits the time they spend outdoors, or those who dress with a lot of skin covering, may not expose their skin to the sun enough to produce adequate levels of vitamin D.
- Skin tone: People with darker complexions have higher levels of melanin. Melanin can inhibit the skin's production of vitamin D, and reduce its levels.
- Medical conditions: People with kidney or liver disorders are at high risk of vitamin D deficiency. People who suffer from gastrointestinal diseases, such as Chron's disease or celiac disease are also at high risk because their bodies may not being able to absorb vitamin D from food.
- Obesity: People with a BMI above 30 suffer more frequently from vitamin D deficiency.
Step 2. Examine your diet
People can get vitamin D from a limited amount of foods. Some natural sources of this vitamin are fatty fish such as salmon, sardines or tuna, as well as egg whites, beef liver, some cheeses, and mushrooms. You will also find products with added vitamin D, such as milk, some dairy products, and breakfast cereals.
Consider getting tested for vitamin D deficiency if you are a vegetarian, and especially a vegan. Vegetarians have few choices for getting adequate levels of vitamin D in their diet
Step 3. Take note of bone pain, weakness or lack of muscle strength
These are all symptoms of vitamin D deficiency. If you fall into one of the risk categories and suffer from any of these symptoms, consult your doctor.
Step 4. Look for curved limbs in children
Children who don't get enough vitamin D can develop bone deformities and rickets. Rickets is a condition that indicates weakening of the bones following problems in mineralization due to a deficiency in vitamin D, calcium or phosphorus.
Step 5. Talk to your pediatrician if your child is not growing as it should
Slow or absent growth in infants and children can indicate rickets.
Step 6. Look for symptoms of osteomalacia
This is the name of the problem in bone mineralization in adults.
- Notice if you have trouble walking.
- Discuss the possibility of suffering from this condition with your doctor if you have weak bones and frequently suffer fractures.
Warnings
- If you are at high risk of skin cancer, discuss a strategy with your doctor for getting enough vitamin D. Don't expose yourself too much to the sun, as there are other ways to supplement that vitamin.
- Vitamin D supplements can be helpful, but you should follow your doctor's directions regarding dosage. Like all vitamins, vitamin D can also be toxic when taken in large doses.
