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If you shun the sun, suffer from milk allergies, or
adhere to a strict vegan diet, you may be at risk for vitamin D
deficiency. Known as the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D is produced by the
body in response to skin being exposed to sunlight. It is also occurs
naturally in a few foods -- including some fish, fish liver oils, and
egg yolks -- and in fortified dairy and grain products.
Vitamin D is essential for strong bones, because it helps the body use
calcium from the diet. Traditionally, vitamin D deficiency has been
associated with rickets, a disease in which the bone tissue doesn't
properly mineralize, leading to soft bones and skeletal deformities. But
increasingly, research is revealing the importance of vitamin D in
protecting against a host of health problems.
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Symptoms and Health Risks of Vitamin D Deficiency
Symptoms of bone pain and muscle weakness can mean you have a vitamin D
deficiency. However, for many people, the symptoms are subtle. Yet, even
without symptoms, too little vitamin D can pose health risks. Low blood
levels of the vitamin have been associated with the following:
• Increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease
• Cognitive impairment in older adults
• Severe asthma in children
• Cancer
Research suggests that vitamin D could play a role in the prevention and
treatment of a number of different conditions, including type1 and type
2 diabetes, hypertension, glucose intolerance, and multiple sclerosis.
Causes of Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency can occur for a number of reasons:
You don't consume the recommended levels of the vitamin over time. This
is likely if you follow a strict vegan diet, because most of the natural
sources are animal-based, including fish and fish oils, egg yolks,
cheese, fortified milk, and beef liver.
Your exposure to sunlight is limited. Because the body makes vitamin D
when your skin is exposed to sunlight, you may be at risk of deficiency
if you are homebound, live in northern latitudes, wear long robes or
head coverings for religious reasons, or have an occupation that
prevents sun exposure.
You have dark skin. The pigment melanin reduces the skin's ability to
make vitamin D in response to sunlight exposure. Some studies show that
older adults with darker skin are at high risk of vitamin D deficiency.
Your kidneys cannot convert vitamin D to its active form. As people age,
their kidneys are less able to convert vitamin D to its active form,
thus increasing their risk of vitamin D deficiency.
Your digestive tract cannot adequately absorb vitamin D. Certain medical
problems, including Crohn's disease, cystic fibrosis, and celiac
disease, can affect your intestine's ability to absorb vitamin D from
the food you eat.
You are obese. Vitamin D is extracted from the blood by fat cells,
altering its release into the circulation. People with a body mass index
of 30 or greater often have low blood levels of vitamin D.
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Vitamin D Deficiency Can Cause Hair Loss
When an individual suffers from deficiency in vitamin D it has adverse
impact on human body. One of the many problems can lead to hair loss or
thinning hair.
According to Dermatology Online Journal, research has been conducted on
role of vitamin D and its link with hair problems/ disorders and the
cycling process of hair follicle.
Vitamin D plays a significant role in the differentiation and
propagation of keratinocytes. The researchers required to further
understand the role of vitamin D in the process of anagen start as it
relates to hair growth.
Whereas, other authors found out that Vitamin D does play a significant
role in the process of hair cycling, and more research is required on
the potential regulation of vitamin D to successfully treat hair
problems.
Tests for Vitamin D Deficiency
The most accurate way to measure how much vitamin D is in your body is
the 25-hydroxy vitamin D blood test. A level of 20 nanograms/milliliter
to 50 ng/mL is considered adequate for healthy people. A level less than
12 ng/mL indicates vitamin D deficiency.
Treatment for Vitamin D Deficiency
Treatment for vitamin D deficiency involves getting more vitamin D --
through diet and supplements. Although there is no consensus on vitamin
D levels required for optimal health -- and it likely differs depending
on age and health conditions -- a concentration of less than 20
nanograms per milliliter is generally considered inadequate, requiring
treatment.
Guidelines from the Institute of Medicine increased the recommended
dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin D to 600 international units (IU) for
everyone ages 1-70, and raised it to 800 IU for adults older than age 70
to optimize bone health. The safe upper limit was also raised to 4,000
IUs.
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If you don't spend much time in the sun or always are careful to cover
your skin (sunscreen inhibits vitamin D production), you should speak to
your doctor about taking a vitamin D supplement, particularly if you
have risk factors for vitamin D deficiency.
For more information on vitamin D deficiency and hair loss,
click here
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