There is a big difference between being thin and being healthy. In our “appearance obsessed” society, it is easy to forget that just because someone may be slender, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are also fit. It is because of this confusion that many people think that fasting is an excellent way to cut down on those last couple of pounds. However, by depriving yourself of important nutrients, you can very easily turn your situation from bad to worse.
In this article we will be addressing what happens when you are deficient in just one important building block for your body … Vitamin D.
Commonly referred to as the “sunshine vitamin”, vitamin D is a nutritional work horse. Utilized in the growing of bone and the maintenance of bone density and mineralization, most people are able to get enough Vitamin D through regular contact with natural sunlight. When the skin comes into contact with sunlight, it is forced to react to protect the body from the suns unique radioactive signature. This defense mechanism results in the body developing vitamin D. You can also take in additional vitamin D by eating: certain species of fish, fish liver oils, egg yolks, as well as fortified dairy and grain products. However, sometimes that isn’t enough.
Some people experience a vitamin D deficiency when they: actively avoid sunlight, have severe allergies to milk/grains, or keep to a strict vegan diet. But, so what? How much of an impact can one little vitamin have on your overall health?
- Vitamin D Deficiency in Expecting Mothers
As we mentioned before, the purpose of vitamin D is to grow bones and keep them healthy. This means that it is critical that soon-to-be moms take in enough of this bone-building-nutrient, so it is passed along to their gestating child. Among other dangerous complications, if a child does not receive enough vitamin D their bones may be smaller, weaker, and improperly aligned. - Vitamin D Deficiency in Adults
It is now being confirmed that insufficient levels of vitamin D can result in serious, full body, diseases such as Rickets and Osteomalacia. Both diseases are caused by vitamin D deficiencies and have similar symptoms: delayed bone growth, pain in the spine, pelvis, legs and ribs, muscle weakness, bowed legs, and breastbone project. On top of those scary conditions, your entire mouth will be affected also. Firstly, each individual tooth will be significantly weaker. Secondly, the jaw will have improper levels of mineralization and will not bond to the teeth strongly. This results in: small and/or crooked teeth, dental caries (cavities), foul taste and bad breath. In extreme cases, an insufficient amount of vitamin D can cause: severe periodontal disease, tooth loss, infection, fevers, chills and pain.
If you are experiencing these symptoms, it may be time to bring your concerns to your doctor. There are very simple tests that they can administer to see if a vitamin D deficiency is the culprit. If your team of health-professionals does find that you are insufficiently nourished, they may recommend a few different treatment options …
- Improve your regular diet: They will encourage you to eat more fish, egg yolks, as well as fortified dairy and grain products.
- Improve your lifestyle: By taking in some additional sunlight each day, and participating in regular exercise, you will take in more vitamin D and increase your overall bone density naturally.
- Supplements: Many doctors and dentists will often advocate incorporating high-grade nutritional supplements to your daily routine. For instance, Pharmaden Health has specifically designed their OsteoTherapy supplement to combat bone density/mineralization issues. Pharmaden products are some of the more popular vitamins prescribed by medical professionals, and they are our top recommendation to get an immediate start on repairing your bones.
When you are considering making a lifestyle change in order to improve your health, we recommend consulting with your doctor/nutritionist first to make sure you are 1) Eliminating the things from your life that your body really doesn’t need/want and 2) Keeping the healthy nutrients so you don’t develop a serious condition like the ones mentioned above.
SOURCES:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/vitamin-d-deficiency#2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_tooth_development
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/rickets/symptoms-causes/dxc-20200468
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/osteomalacia/basics/symptoms/con-20029393