Vitamin D Deficiency

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; some fish, fish liver oils, egg yolks, fortified dairy and grain products.

Vitamin D is essential for strong bones because it helps the body use calcium from the diet, but it also protects against a host of health problems including type1 and type 2 diabetes, hypertension, glucose intolerance, and multiple sclerosis.

Causes

• You don't eat the recommended levels of the vitamin over time.
• Your exposure to sunlight is limited. 
• You have dark skin. The pigment melanin reduces the skin's ability to make vitamin D in response to sunlight.
• Your kidneys cannot convert vitamin D to its active form. 
• Your digestive tract cannot adequately absorb vitamin D due to certain medical problems, including Crohn's disease, cystic fibrosis and celiac disease.
• You are obese. Vitamin D is extracted from the blood by fat cells.