Vitamin D may be absorbed from food, or can be produced by the skin when it is exposed to sunlight. People who spend a lot of time indoors, live in climates with only a few sunny days, or who have dark skin may not produce enough vitamin D, and are at risk for a vitamin D deficiency. Because vitamin D is fat-soluble, malabsorption disorders involving reduced digestion of fats will decrease vitamin D levels absorbed by the body.
Well, so much more research is being found out about Vitamin D, but doctors are still in the "If you Don't have Rickets then you don't have Vitamin D Deficiency" mode of the 1800's and unfortunately, it doesn't look like it's going to change anytime soon. But what Researchers are now showing is that Certain Vitamins can cause obvious short term problems at ONE LEVEL of Deficiency, and other- no-so-obvious problems if a HIGHER level if not met.
Kids get so little Vitamin D these days, that Rickets- a disease that was thought to be virtually eradicated over 50 years ago in developed countries - is back again. Rickets, with it's characteristic bowed legs from improper bone hardening, is caused by a simple nutritional deficiency. Yet children right here in the US are getting this easily preventable disease in numbers never thought possible. Vitamin D, which is naturally present in few foods except for Fatty Fish like salmon and sardines, is made naturally when the skin is exposed to sunlight.
The diagnosis of this disorder is confirmed from positive results of tests. Results include decreased in serum calcium, decreased PTH concentration from radioimmunoassay for PTH, prolonged QT and ST intervals due to hypocalcemia as shown by the ECG or electrocardiogram test, and increased serum phosphorus. Clinical evidence of this Vitamin D disorder is shown by inflating a blood pressure cuff on the patient's upper arm between systolic and diastolic blood pressure and holding this inflation for about 3 minutes.
They support the body and give it strength and durability, as well as servicing every level of their muscular actions. Bones also serve as a storage unit for several important elements with the most critical being calcium and phosphorus. In a healthy and well nourished cat bones also store fat in their system and they can pull from the bones in emergency situations.
Treatment for osteomalacia usually involves oral vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus supplements. Larger doses of vitamin D and calcium may be needed for people who cannot properly absorb nutrients into the intestines. Your doctor may wish to conduct regular blood tests to monitor blood levels of phosphorus and calcium if there is an underlying condition causing the osteomalacia. When a vitamin D deficiency is the primarily cause of the osteomalacia, improvements can often be seen within a few weeks.
It is obvious that nutrition plays a huge role in our health. A poor nutrition can lead to many serious and life-threatening illnesses. On the other hand, a good and healthy nutrition can prevent diseases and even reduce the risk of other ones. The relationship between nutrition and human disease can take three forms: diseases in which nutrition plays some role, diseases with a strong nutritional element, and diseases caused by nutritional deficiencies.
