Vitamin D Deficiency Diseases List – Lack of sun exposure is known to be related to various diseases, ranging from flu, heart disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, to cancer. Some studies have referred to an important substance contained in sun exposure, namely vitamin D.
Vitamin D is also very important to consume, since it has the benefits of improving the body’s immune system. Unlike other vitamins, vitamin D acts like a hormone that has receptors in every cell of the body.
Vitamin D deficiency turns out to be serious for health, especially in sub-tropical countries that get little exposure to sunlight.
Vitamin D not only helps the body absorb calcium that is important to the bones, but also plays a role in the immune system by helping to reduce inflammation. Chronic inflammation is thought to trigger heart disease and cancer.
The vitamin D deficiency disease can be affected by several factors. Vitamin D deficiency can affect various organs in the body which of course also affects health. This vitamin D deficiency condition can be experienced by all circles, both of infants and children, as well as older persons.
The vitamin D deficiency disease must be recognized in order to be treated immediately. Although it seems trivial, this vitamin D deficiency can lead to dangerous diseases if left unchecked. Therefore, you need to pay attention to a vitamin D deficiency disease that can be experienced by infants and children as well as older persons today.
Vitamin D Deficiency Diseases List
Vitamin D deficiency cannot be tolerated. Because, it can cause some diseases. Loss of bone density is one of them. However, there are still some medical problems caused by a lack of vitamin D in the body.
Some of the dangerous diseases caused by vitamin D deficiency include:
Diabetes
A 2011 study found that obese children with low vitamin D levels in the body have the potential to develop type 2 diabetes in adulthood. While in older persons who lack vitamin D levels in the body has a chance of developing type 2 diabetes rises to about 57 percent.
Multiple sclerosis
Vitamin D deficiency has long been associated with bone health problems. Some researchers say there is a link between vitamin D deficiency and multiple sclerosis, which is inflammation that occurs in the brain and spinal cord.
Bone disease
In children, vitamin D deficiency can lead to rickets disease. This rare disease causes the bones to become soft and bent.
As for older persons, severe vitamin D deficiency can cause osteomalacia, which makes bones weak, bone pain, and muscles weak.
Rheumatoid arthritis
Vitamin D deficiency in the body is also associated with rheumatoid arthritis or arthritis disease.
Cognitive Disorder
Vitamin D plays an important role in brain development, brain function, and a healthy nervous system. Vitamin D deficiency can cause some cognitive disorder diseases such as:
- Parkinson
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Schizophrenia
- Depression
- Anxiety disorders
- Dementia
Thus, maintaining sufficient levels of vitamin D can help prevent age-related neurological disorders.
Dementia
A study found that moderate and severe vitamin D deficiency in older persons was associated with a doubled risk for some forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.
Eating healthy, exercising regularly and taking care of your mental health can help reduce your risk of dementia.
Risk of schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a severe brain disorder that usually appears between the ages of 16 and 30 years. Symptoms include hallucinations, unclear speech, anti-social and focus and attention problems. People who are deficient in vitamin D are twice as likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Heart disease
A number of studies have shown a link between low blood levels of vitamin D and heart disease and related complications. Research shows vitamin D levels as the main cause of health problems related to heart disease such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes and stroke.
You can reduce your risk of heart disease by maintaining a healthy weight, exercise regularly and eat healthy foods. Exposure to sunlight can help the body absorb calcium well, a nutrient essential for strong bones.