Wardround

Vitamin D is one of key micronutrients that are vital to the human body. It enables the body to absorb minerals like calcium and phosphorus, which make the teeth and bones strong. Vitamin D also supports the muscles, nerves, and immune system. One cheap source of the vitamin is morning sunshine on the skin. It can also be obtained eggs, fatty fish, and foods like milk and cereal fortified with it.

Why the body needs more vitamin D

There are a number of reasons a person may need more vitamin D. These include: you don’t get enough sunshine, you don’t get enough from food, especially if you like dairy or your body is not able to absorb it as well as you should or it is removed from the body too quickly. The dark African skin has a natural sun protection and needs longer sun exposure to make the vitamin. Wounds don’t seem to heal as fast in people with low levels of vitamin D. That’s particularly true for people with burns. It affects a third of women between the ages of 60 and 70 and two thirds of women 80 or older. No single thing causes it, but not having enough vitamin D makes it harder for the body to use the minerals it needs to keep bones strong.

In osteoporosis, this means enlargement of natural spaces in the substance of the bones. They become more “porous,” which makes them more breakable.

People who have pain and weakness in their muscles and bones often don’t have enough vitamin D. In older people especially, weak muscles can raise your chances of falling and breaking a bone. It also may be a sign of osteoporosis. Talk to your doctor if you notice any pain. That could be a warning sign that can go away with vitamin D supplements or changes in diet or lifestyle.

In the 1800s, city pollution could be thick enough to block much of the sunlight. This caused low vitamin D levels that led to an epidemic of this children’s disease that stunted growth and softened and misshaped growing bones. More exposure to sunshine and vitamin-fortified foods helped stop it. But you can still get rickets. It’s especially possible in babies born to moms with severely low vitamin D, something more common among African American women.

Unlike rickets, which is mostly a childhood disease, you can get osteomalacia through adulthood. Even after your bones stop growing, they need vitamin D for repair and maintenance. If your levels stay low for a long time, it can soften your bones. That can cause breaks and other problems, especially in the hips.

There is some evidence that vitamin D levels could have an effect on diabetes (types 1 and 2), high blood pressure, multiple sclerosis, and some types of cancer.  Scientists continue to study the relationship between vitamin D and serious illness.

There often isn’t enough vitamin D in breast milk to keep infants healthy unless the mother takes a supplement. Rickets happens most often in breastfed children. African American mothers, in particular, tend to start with less vitamin D in their blood. Experts say breastfeeding infants need an extra 400 IU of vitamin D per day.

The body needs fat to use vitamin D. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other conditions that affect the gut — like celiac disease and cystic fibrosis — make it harder for you to absorb this fat. That can mean that you need more vitamin D to keep your levels up. Supplements seem to help.

People who undergo gastric bypass suffer from vitamin D deficiency. Gastric bypass is a type of surgery that removes part of the stomach or intestines (sometimes both) so that you feel fuller faster and eat fewer calories. After the surgery, it’s harder to absorb some nutrients including vitamin B12, copper, zinc, calcium, and vitamin D. Your doctor will probably track your levels and suggest daily vitamin supplements to keep your levels healthy.

If you have a BMI of 30 or more (meaning you are obese), your vitamin D levels are more likely to be lower than someone who isn’t obese. It’s not that your skin makes less vitamin D, it’s that the extra fat under your skin keeps more of it and changes the way it goes into your blood. Diet, lifestyle changes, and supplements can help.

• Adapted from www.webmd.com/goodhealth

Monitor your vitamin D level

A simple blood test can let you know your vitamin D level. Consider a test if you’re homebound, blocked off from sunlight, or have signs of low vitamin D like bone pain, muscle pain, or a condition like osteoporosis.

If you think your levels are low, don’t overdo supplements to make up the difference. Too much can be harmful.