Vitamin D is found in many different types of food. Some of these include fish, eggs, fortified milk, and cod liver oil. The sun is also a significant source of Vitamin D. It is currently thought that as little as ten minutes exposure to the sun daily provides enough of the nutrient to prevent deficiency.
The term “vitamin D” actually refers to a few different forms of the vitamin. The two that are most important are vitamin D2, which is made by plants, and vitamin D3, which is made by human skin when exposed to sunlight. The role of vitamin D in the body is to maintain normal levels of calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D helps the body to absorb calcium, which in turn, forms and maintains strong bones. When combined with calcium, vitamin D improves bone health, decreases fractures and may also protect against osteoporosis, high blood pressure, cancer, and other diseases.
When a child has a vitamin D deficiency, it causes rickets is a softening or weakening of the bones. A deficiency in adults causes osteomalacia, which causes weak bones and muscles. Those that are at highest risk for deficiency include the elderly or obese, those with limited exposure to the sun, and babies that are exclusively breastfed. Conditions like cystic fibrosis can be at a higher risk for vitamin D deficiency.
Medical Uses
There is strong scientific evidence that suggests vitamin D may effectively be used in the treatment of the following conditions:
- Phosphate Deficiency
- Kidney Disease
- Osteomalacia
- Psoriasis
- Rickets
- Thyroid conditions
- Vitamin D Deficiency
- Dental Cavities
- Fall Prevention
- Muscle Weakness/Pain
- Osteoporosis
- Renal Osteodystrophy
There is some scientific evidence that vitamin D is effective in the treatment of the following conditions or their symptoms:
- Asthma
- Autoimmune Diseases
- Bone Density in Children
- Bone Diseases
- Cancer Prevention (Breast, Colorectal, Prostate, and Other)
- Cognition
- Fertility
- Fibromyalgia
- Fractures (Treatment and Prevention)
- Hepatic Osteodyrstophy
- High Blood Pressure
- HIV
- Immune Function
- Increasing Lifespan
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Kidney Disease
- Kidney Disease
- Loose Teeth
- Mood Disorders
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Muscle Strength
- Muscle Wasting/Weakness
- Myelodysplastic Syndrome
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteogenesis Imperfecta
- Osteomalacia
- Osteoporosis Due to Corticosteroids, Drugs or Conditions Like Cystic Fibrosis
- Pregnancy
- Prevention of Respiratory Tract Infections
- Non-Responsive Rickets
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Senile Warts
- Sexual Dysfunction
- Skin Conditions
- Skin Pigmentation Disorders
- Stroke
- Tuberculosis
- Diabetes Types 1 and 2
- Vitamin D Deficiency in Infants and Breast Feeding Mothers
- Vitiligo
- Weight Gain
If you do not eat foods that commonly contain vitamin D, and do not get frequent exposure to the sun, you might want to consider supplementing with vitamin D.