What Causes Vitamin D Deficiency?
Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble prohormones with active metabolites, and Vitamins D2 and D3 are the two major forms. Sun exposure, food and supplements all produce vitamin D in addition to the amounts produced by the body. Calcitriol is an active form of Vitamin D3 found in the body and maintains several organs as well as it increase the flow of calcium into the bloodstream. Calcitriol is also required for bone growth, bone formation and bone resorption (bone is broken down to release minerals transferred from the bone fluid to the blood). Inadequate Vitamin D can lead to thin, brittle and malformed bones.
A deficiency is any condition in which inadequate intake of a nutrient result in significant dysfunction or disease; all tissues need all nutrients, shortages impair the functioning of all body systems. Vitamin D deficiency results in impaired bone mineralization and leads to bone softening diseases, rickets, osteomalacia, osteoporosis, genomic signaling, immune disorders, and cancer.
Causes of Vitamin D Deficiency
There are underlying conditions and disorders that can lead to vitamin D deficiency, as well as personal habits such as smoking, poor diet or diets which include vitamin D rich foods (vegetables, fruits, fish liver oils etc), alcohol, stress, and environmental factors such as limited exposure to sunlight. Hereditary disorders are also risk factors for vitamin D deficiency.
Malabsorption Syndrome
Malabsorption can deprive the body of dietary vitamin D. “Malabsorption syndrome is an alteration in the ability of the intestine to absorb nutrients adequately into the bloodstream. It may be due to an abnormality of the gut wall, failure to produce enzymes or bile to aid digestion, or there may be abnormalities of the flora of the gut”.
Kidney and Liver Disease
Vitamin D, D3 or D2 must be metabolized within the body to the hormonally-active form known as 1, 25-dihydroxycholecalciferol. Within the liver, cholecalciferal is hydroxylated to 25-hydroxycholecalciferol by the enzyme 25-hydroxylase and within the kidney, 25-hydroxycholecalciferol serves as a substrate for 1-alpha-hydroxylase, yielding 1, 25-dihydroxycholecalciferol. People with liver and kidney disease have a high incidence of deficiency of nutritional vitamin D. Both conditions can interfere with generation of the biologically-active form of vitamin D.
Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease of the secretory glands, including the glands that make mucus. Persons with the disease produce abnormally thick and sticky mucus that often obstructs the lungs, leading to lung infections, as well as to the clogging of the pancreatic ducts which can prevent normal digestion and lead to vitamin deficiencies.
Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease is an ongoing disorder that causes inflammation of the digestive or gastrointestinal tract. It can affect any area of the GI tract, from the mouth to the anus, but the most common complication is blockage of the intestines. Nutritional complications are common in Crohn’s disease. Deficiencies of proteins, calories, and vitamins can occur and may be caused by inadequate dietary intake, intestinal loss of protein, or malabsorption.
Lupus
Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body including the skin, joints, and/or organs. If organs such as the kidney and liver are damaged this will impair the production/breakdown of Vitamin D.
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What Causes Vitamin D Deficiency