What Does a Lack of Vitamin D Do to You?

Your best source of vitamin D is free -- it only requires you to spend some time in the sun every day.


Even though exposure to the sun can help your body make sufficient amounts of vitamin D needed for health, about 42 percent of Americans do not get adequate amounts of this essential nutrient, according to a “Nutrition Research” article published in 2011. The impact of vitamin D deficiency results in poor bone health and may increase your risk of diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases, reports a 2004 review article in the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.”

Vitamin D and Bone Health

Your body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium from the intestines. If you lack vitamin D, you absorb only 10 to 15 percent of the dietary calcium consumed. This is about half of what you would normally absorb if you are not vitamin D deficient, according to an article published in the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.” The resulting weak, soft and achy bones from lack of calcium deposition during vitamin D deficiency cause rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. Another effect of vitamin D deficiency is a loss in bone density, which increases the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.

Diseases and Vitamin D Deficiency

A lack of vitamin D may increase your risk of falling because it causes muscle weakness and pain, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. Low vitamin D levels also increase risk of several diseases such as hypertension, heart failure, stroke, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and prostate, colon and breast cancers. In contrast, high vitamin D levels reduce risk of arthritis, increase lung function and boost the immune system, states a publication from the Harvard Medical School.

Diagnosing Vitamin D Deficiency

The only way of finding if you lack vitamin D is through a test that measures the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in blood. While levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D below 20 nanograms per milliliter signify vitamin D deficiency, levels in the borderline range of 20 to 30 nanograms per milliliter indicate that you are at risk of developing vitamin D deficiency. However, you have a sufficient amount of vitamin D if your blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D fall between 30 to 74 nanograms per milliliter, according to MedlinePlus.com.

Getting Vitamin D

Simply walking, working or reading in the sun for 5 to 10 minutes every day allows your body to make sufficient amounts of vitamin D. However, do not cover your arms or legs with clothing or sunscreen, as both prevent synthesis of vitamin D from the sun. Additionally, make natural and fortified food sources of vitamin D such as salmon, mackerel, herring, fish liver oils, eggs, milk, cheese and breakfast cereals a regular part of your diet. Although vitamin D supplements are also available, only use them after consulting your physician because excess vitamin D can cause toxicity.

About the Author

As a scientist and educator, Sukhsatej Batra has been writing instructional material, scientific papers and technical documents since 2001. She has a diverse scientific background, having worked in the fields of nutrition, molecular biology and biochemistry. Batra holds a PhD in foods and nutrition, and a certificate in professional technical communication.

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