Thursday, September 23, 2010

The Ugly truth About Vitamin D Deficiency

The Ugly truth About Vitamin D Deficiency 
 


Vitamin D deficiency is the newest of many problems that are being pointed out as the reason for numerous maladies like heart condition to diabetes and even depression. There are numerous medical references and speculation in the medical community about the nature of the deficiency but only one thing is clear, Vitamin D deficiency is a problem that is still not fully clear even in the medical community.
Undoubtedly, a lot have been learned about vitamin D and its numerous variations. The medical community has learned that it may play a more vital role more than the health of the musculoskeletal health for which it has been widely known. Vitamin D has long been considered as an essential component for calcium metabolism. A comparison of low Vitamin D levels with various conditions has been recently cited but the association does not mean that Vitamin D is the root cause of the problem. There are numerous factors and their connection that play a major role in the whole disease process while some other factors may only be coincidences.
Even though experts are pushing for examining vitamin D levels and start treating low levels, they say that what is really important are a controlled study of large groups of individuals in the long term to see if the lack vitamin D really cause heart disease or any other condition which it is being blamed into. This is just a classic case of guilt by association without any solid proof. There are different examples in real life and the field of medicine where we immediately believe on recommendations that seemed believable only to find out later that is ineffective and lack substance.
Nutrient and vitamin supplements are one of the more vague divisions of science in terms of enough proof to justify the use of the product to customers. Vitamins are usually use for prevention of colds which sometimes do not work for some individuals. A lot of supposed vitamin deficiencies that can be solved by supplements, not by a balanced diet, have been unsuccessful for numerous reasons that people do not really understand.
Like the use of estrogen supplementation for women that are already in the postmenopausal stage as a protection for cardiovascular related diseases was an accepted promise for years. But when a thorough study was done, using estrogen supplements lacked any protective benefits and had some disadvantageous effects in some cases.
It is really difficult to take vitamin D from a diet consists of oily fish like a salmon because it have to be consumed in bulk. Constant exposure to sunlight also gives you vitamin D. But this effect is diminished on a person that has a heavily pigmented skin, on the elderly or in people who do not spend a lot of time outdoors.
Some foods also contain vitamin D like milk and cheese but the amounts that are present in these foods are not enough to satisfy the needs of an average person. The risk of toxicity is low but possible so it is very important for people to follow the recommended dosage for vitamin D that have been recommended by experts on this field.
Symptoms for vitamin D toxicity include weakness, thirst, excessive urination and itching. Keeping an eye on your vitamin D intake is simple enough aside from supplementation. But one has to think about the bigger picture: do you really benefit from it? Is it advisable to follow all of these things for something that may be good or bad for your body? You should always consult your doctor in order to monitor your Vitamin D intake.

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