Vitamin D is extremely important for the human body as it is responsible for the absorption of calcium, magnesium, phosphate and others. It is also recommended to patients older patients together with calcium to prevent fractures. Also, nutritional rickets and osteomalaia are diseases caused by Vitamin D and calcium deficiency. For this reason, newborns are prescribed Vitamin D until the age of 2. It isn’t exactly great news that ¼ of US citizens suffers from Vitamin D inadequacy and 8 % from Vitamin D deficiency.
Vitamin D Assessment Study
According to the Vitamin D study, a 100,000 monthly oral vitamin D dose is not enough to improve bone mass unless the serum 15-OHD levels are lower than 30 nmol/L. Vitamin D is effective for high-risk groups such as patients with vitamin D deficiency or with low serum 25-OHD.
Facts which should be known
Vitamin D deficiency or documented low serum 25-OHD is encountered in patients who avoid sun exposure. Avoiding sun exposure is done usually due to cultural, religious, personal preferences reasons or when someone takes photosensitizing medication. It is highly recommended that these patients take Vitamin D supplements even without having their serum vitamin D levels taken.
When patients display fatigue, muscle weakness or pain their vitamin D levels should be checked and supplements should be prescribed only if it is confirmed their levels are indeed low.
It is important to know more about vitamin D because it is used by many countries to fortify their food in order to avoid nutritional deficiency. In order to help the population reach the necessary vitamin D levels, health care providers must teach nutrition education and also keep an eye on drug interactions with vitamin D. Therefore, calcium intake and vitamin D are very important for our health.