The symptoms of deficiency can be very different, but most often it is a deterioration in mood, weight loss, high blood pressure, peeling skin, problems with stools.
It is known that more than 40% of all inhabitants of the Earth are deficient in vitamin D. Its deficiency is usually the result of insufficient insolation associated with the season, and also often occurs against the background of an unbalanced diet.
Vitamin D deficiency has been shown to lead to a number of diseases. It is primarily important for bone health. In children, a lack of vitamin D leads to osteomalacia, also known as rickets. In older people, muscle weakness and decreased bone mass, which increases the risk of injury and bone fractures. Low concentrations of vitamin D are dangerous for pregnant women and can provoke the risk of preeclampsia and fetal abnormalities.
The symptoms of deficiency can be very different, but most often it is a deterioration in mood, weight loss, high blood pressure, peeling skin, problems with stools.
Where is vitamin D found
Vitamin D (calciferol) is a fat-soluble vitamin from the group of steroid prohormones. Its two most important forms for health are ergocalciferol (D2), which is not produced in the body and comes from food, and cholecalficerol (D3). The main source of vitamin D for humans is sunlight, which stimulates the production of calciferol in the upper layers of the skin. Approximately 10-20% of the vitamin enters the body with food. Most of all it is found in fatty sea fish, mushrooms, eggs, fortified dairy products.
Diagnosing Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency often goes undiagnosed, which can significantly affect health and quality of life. However, it is important to remember that uncontrolled intake of vitamin D is unsafe, as the substance is toxic in high concentrations.
Only a doctor can determine the dosage, based on the results of clinical laboratory studies. Therefore, before you start taking vitamins or supplements, you need to determine its level in the body. For this, it is recommended to perform a special test in CITILAB 35-20-010 25-OH Vitamin D total (25-hydroxycalciferol) . 25-OH-vitamin is the main active metabolite of vitamin D.
Vitamin D content in the body:
- Deficiency: <20 ng / ml (<50nmol / L).
- Deficiency: 20-30 ng / ml (<80nmol / L).
- Toxic concentration:> 100 ng / ml (<250 nmol / l).
It is also recommended to conduct the study 95-20-207 Vitamin D: 25-OH D2 (25-hydroxyergocalciferol) and 25-OH D3 (25-hydroxycholecalciferol) separately . This test will help identify the cause of your vitamin D deficiency.
First of all, patients need to perform an analysis to determine the level of 25-OH-vitamin D:
- suffering from arterial hypertension, cardiovascular diseases;
- with diabetes, obesity, autoimmune diseases;
- receiving long-term treatment with corticosteroids, antiviral drugs;
- with chronic kidney disease;
- with transplants;
- pregnant women;
- with osteoporosis or with a high risk of its development;
- women during menopause.
Be healthy!