Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency is a common deficiency that can lead to problems with bones and muscles. It most often affects people over the age of 65 and individuals with darker skin. This deficiency is preventable and treatable.
Vitamin D is one of the fat-soluble vitamins and is also classified as a hormone. It can accumulate in the body through sunlight exposure or be obtained from food. Vitamin D is also known as calciferol. Along with several other factors, vitamin D plays a key role in regulating the metabolism of calcium and phosphates and facilitates their absorption in the intestines. Thus, it significantly supports bone mineralization and influences various hormones. Vitamin D also plays a role in muscle metabolism and immune system function.
How is vitamin D deficiency diagnosed?
Medical professionals typically do not prescribe routine vitamin D level checks, but they may need to assess your level if you have specific health conditions or risk factors for vitamin D deficiency or if you are experiencing its symptoms. Examination in Switzerland includes testing for vitamin D levels as part of a comprehensive body diagnosis.
There are two types of tests a doctor may prescribe, but the most common is 25-hydroxyvitamin D, known as 25(OH)D for short.
Where is vitamin D found?
Vitamin D is almost absent in food. Fatty fish (e.g., herring, mackerel, salmon) is a good source. Other sources of vitamin D include cod liver oil, egg yolks, edible mushrooms (but not all cultivated mushrooms), and fortified products such as oil.
Vitamin D is present only in very small amounts in plant-based foods. Vitamin D from animal products is called cholecalciferol, while vitamin D from plant sources is called ergocalciferol.
Foods containing vitamin D
Vitamin D is naturally found in the following foods:
- Salmon
- Tuna
- Sardines
- Eggs
- Cod liver oil
- Beef liver
- Mackerel
- Oysters
- Mushrooms
Products that can be enriched with vitamin D or calcium
During production, these products can be enriched with vitamin D and calcium:
- Milk
- Packaged cheese
- Yogurt
- Kefir
- Orange juice
- Protein shakes
- Packaged fruit gummies or snacks
- Oatmeal
- Soy milk
Too much or too little vitamin D
Excessive vitamin D intake is rare but can be dangerous in both acute and long-term overdose. Elevated levels of calcium in the blood can lead to increased urine production, nausea, vomiting, and even kidney stones, in extreme cases, kidney failure and death.
Insufficient vitamin D negatively affects the metabolism of calcium and phosphates, and consequently, bone health.
Vitamin D deficiency in the body can have various causes. Those at risk include people who rarely spend extendVitamin D deficiency in the body can have various causes. Those at risk include people who rarely spend extended time outdoors during the day, such as the elderly or infants. In young children, a lack of vitamins can lead to rickets, where bones are insufficiently mineralized, becoming soft and deformed (e.g., bowed legs, delayed closure of the fontanelle).ed time outdoors during the day, such as the elderly or infants. In young children, a lack of vitamins can lead to rickets, where bones are insufficiently mineralized, becoming soft and deformed (e.g., bowed legs, delayed closure of the fontanelle).
In adults, severe deficiency can lead to the remodeling and demineralization of fully developed bones over an extended period. In the elderly, vitamin D deficiency, among other factors, may be associated with osteoporosis development and accelerate it. Other signs of vitamin D deficiency include reduced muscle strength and increased susceptibility to infections.