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            Causes of Vitamin D deficiency

 Introduction

 Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for strong bones. A deficiency in vitamin D can lead to osteoporosis and an increased risk of falls, fractures, and bone and muscle pain. This vitamin is a real hormone and is also important for the immune system.

What are the factors that cause vitamin D deficiency?

1-Overweight

Being overweight or obese is one of the very important factors for vitamin D deficiency in the body. Some studies show that people who are overweight have higher rates of vitamin D deficiency compared to people of normal weight. Therefore, body weight must be maintained in the normal range.

2-Not consuming the recommended amounts of it

It happens when you eat a vegan diet that is devoid of dietary sources of vitamin D or your skin or body is not exposed to enough sunlight, so your vitamin D levels may be too low. In order to maintain a healthy body, natural sources that contain vitamin D must be followed to maintain a healthy system

Most natural sources of vitamin D are animal products, such as fish, fish oils, egg yolks, fortified milk, and beef liver.

The normal amount of vitamin D you need each day depends on your age. The recommended amounts, in international units (IU), are:

Birth to 12 months: 400 IU

Children 1-13 years: 600 IU

Adolescents 14-18 years: 600 IU

Adults 19-70 years old: 600 IU

Adults 71 years and older: 800 IU

Pregnant and breastfeeding women: 600 IU

3-Not enough exposure to the sun

The main source of Vitamin D is exposure to sunlight, so not doing it properly is one of the reasons for the low level of Vitamin D in the body. It affects the bones in the future.

• You may be at risk of vitamin D deficiency in the following cases:

• You spend most of your time at home.

• She wears long clothes all the time.

• Your occupation prevents you from being exposed to the sun.

4-Malnutrition

Infants and children are most at risk of developing vitamin D deficiency, which is caused by not getting it from food in sufficient quantities. Because breast milk contains small amounts of vitamin D, most infant formulas also do not contain sufficient amounts of vitamin D.

 As for adults, a lack of interest in obtaining sources of vitamin D from foods that contain it, such as fish and egg yolks, may lead to vitamin D deficiency, especially in the elderly and people who follow a vegetarian diet.

5-Having some digestive disorders

There are some digestive disorders that can negatively affect vitamin D levels, including cystic fibrosis, small bowel resection, or gastric bypass.

These diseases may not allow the intestines to absorb enough vitamin D through supplements, causing difficulty or difficulty in increasing the level of this vitamin.

6-Kidney and Liver Diseases

Both the kidneys and liver contain many important enzymes, including those that are involved in the body's manufacture of vitamin D or its conversion to the active form.

Thus, a health problem in the kidneys or liver, such as cirrhosis or kidney failure, may result in a deficiency in the body's manufacture of vitamin D or not converting it to the active form.

7-Take some types of medication

Some types of medications reduce the body's ability to absorb vitamin D or convert it into its active form so that the body can use it.

Among the most important of these drugs, we mention steroid drugs, and some types of drugs used to lower cholesterol.

8-smoking

Did you know that more people who smoke are deficient in vitamin D levels than non-smokers? Therefore, smoking is one of the causes of vitamin D deficiency in the body.

Some studies have also cited that smoking affects the gene that activates vitamin D in the body, which can cause its levels to drop.

9-Having dark skin

If you are dark-skinned, you may be more likely to develop a vitamin D deficiency, as the melanin pigment in the skin reduces the skin's ability to produce vitamin D in response to exposure to sunlight. It has been shown that older people with dark skin are at high risk of low levels of vitamin D.

 

10-Weight loss surgery

If you've had weight-loss surgery, you may be more likely to have low vitamin D levels.

Gastric bypass operations are one of the reasons behind vitamin D deficiency; Because it reduces the consumption of adequate amounts of certain nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, including vitamin D.

These people need to take vitamin D supplements for life to make up for their deficiency.

Vitamin D benefits

Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins involved in bone-building metabolism, by facilitating intestinal absorption of calcium, and vitamin D also contributes to the transfer of calcium from the intestine to the blood by proteins called calbindin. It also stimulates the absorption of magnesium and phosphate.