Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D
VitaminDplaysanimportantroleinhelpingthebodytoabsorbcalciumthroughthesmall intestine.Ourbodiesneedcalciumtohelpthemdevelopandmaintainhealthybones,musclesand teeth. ThebulkofourvitaminDisproducedbythebodywhenUVradiationinsunlighthitsourskinand reactswithacholesterol-likesubstanceintheskin.TherearealsoverysmallamountsofvitaminD insomefoodsanddrinks.However,thisisusuallynotenoughtomaintainthelevelsourbodies need. MostpeoplegetenoughvitaminDthroughexposuretosunlightduringnormalday-to-dayoutdoor activities.However,somepeoplehaveverylowlevelsofdailysunexposure,whichcanleadto vitaminDdeficiency.Thisincludespeoplewhocovertheirskinforculturalorreligiousreasonsand peoplewhospendmostoftheirtimeindoors.Peoplewithdarkskinmayneedmoresunexposure timethanpeoplewithfairskintoproduceanadequateamountofvitaminD. Toomuchsunexposurecanincreasetheriskofskincancer.Itisimportanttofindasensible balancebetweensunexposureandprotection. Vitamin D deficiency IfyoudontgetenoughvitaminD,yourbodywillnotabsorbasmuchcalciumasitneedsandthe mineralisationofboneswillbeaffected.LackofvitaminDandcalciumcanincreasetheriskof developingarangeofmusculoskeletalconditions,including: Ricketsinchildrenwithgrowingbonesaconditionwithsoft,weakenedanddeformed bonesinchildrenoftenwithpoormuscledevelopment Neonatalhypocalcaemianotenoughcalciumintheblood,inbabiesexposedtolowlevels ofvitaminDduringpregnancy Thinningofthebonesinadultscausingbonyweaknessandincreasedriskoffractures(a conditionknownasOsteomalacia) Muscleweakness,achesandpainsincreasingtheriskoffalls,fracturesandbalance problems,especiallyinolderadults.
Osteomalaciaisadifferentconditionfromthemorecommonlyknowncondition,osteoporosis.Both conditionsresultinbonethinningandweaknessaswellasagreaterriskofbonefractures, especiallyinolderpeople. High-risk groups PeopleatincreasedriskofvitaminDdeficiencyinclude: BabiesborntowomenwithavitaminDdeficiency Childrenandadultswithlittlesunlightexposure Peoplewhocovermostoftheirbodyforreligiousorculturalreasons Peopleunabletoregularlygetoutoftheirhouse Peoplewithnaturallyverydarkskin Peopleinresidentialcare Frailolderpeople Shiftworkers Peoplewithsomemedicalconditionssuchascertainboweldiseases.
VitaminD
Page1of3
ThebestsourceofvitaminDisultraviolet(UV)radiationfromthesun.Asensiblebalanceofsun exposureandsunprotectioncanprotectagainstvitaminDdeficiencywithoutputtingyouatriskof skincancer. UVradiationlevelsvarydependingonlocation,timeofyear,timeofday,cloudcoverageandthe environment.WheneverUVradiationlevelsreach3andabove,mostpeopleneedtousesun protection.WhenUVlevelsarebelow3,mostpeopledonotrequiresunprotectionunlesstheyare inhigh-altitude(alpine)regionsornearhighlyreflectivesurfacessuchassnoworwater. TochecktheUVlevelsfortheday,gototheSunSmartUVAlert.ThereisaSunSmartUVAlertfor over300citiesacrossAustralia.Youcanfindthemintheweathersectionofyourdailynewspaper orvisitSunSmartUVAlertwebsite. Recommended sunlight exposure Somesunexposureonyourarms,face,handsorsimilarsurfaceareaisimportanttoreduceyour riskofvitaminDdeficiency.Recommendedsunlightexposureforpeoplewithfairskinincludes: September to AprilafewminutesofsunlightexposureeithersideofpeakUVtimes. Alwaysprotectyourskinfromthesunwithclothing,shadeand/orsunscreenbetween 10amand3pm.Reapplysunscreeneverytwohours. May to Augusttwotothreehoursofsunlightexposureovertheweek.Takeadvantage ofsunnyperiods.Sunprotectionisnotnecessaryduringthewintermonthsinthesouthern areasofAustralia,unlessyouareathighaltitudesornearreflectivesurfaceslikesnowor water.
Peoplewithverydarkskinmayneedthreetofourtimesmoreexposuretimethanpeoplewithfair skintoachievesufficientlevelsofvitaminD.Thisisbecausethepigmentsindarkskinreducethe effectsofUVradiationintheproductionofvitaminD. Be SunSmart Remembertoslip,slop,slap,seekandslidewhenevertheUVIndexisforecasttoreach3or above: Sliponclothingtocovertheskin. SloponSPF30+water-resistantsunscreen,reappliedeverytwohours. Slaponabroad-brimmedhattoprotecttheface,earsandneck. Seekshadewhereveryoucan. Slideonsunglassestoprotectagainsteyedamagechooseapairthatcarriesthe AustralianStandardAS1067tagorsticker.
Solariumshavebeenlinkedtocausingskincancerandarenot recommendedasawaytotreat vitaminDdeficiency. Some people need extra sun protection Somepeoplemayneedtolimittheirsunlightexposureorusesunscreenoutsidetherecommended hours.Talktoyourdoctorbeforeincreasingyourlevelofsunexposure,especiallyifyou: Areregularlyoutdoorsforprolongedperiodsoftime Haveveryfairorsunsensitiveskinthatburnseasily Haveahistoryofskincancer Havehadanorgantransplantoraretakingmedicationsthatincreaseyourriskofskin cancer.
Babiesandyoungchildrenalsoneedextraprotectionduetotheirsensitiveskin.AustraliashighUV radiationlevelsmeanthatmostchildrengetmorethanenoughVitaminD,evenwhenoutdoorsfor veryshortperiodswithsmallamountsofskinexposed. Diet and exercise ForthemajorityofAustralians,itisalmostimpossibletogetenoughvitaminDfromdietalone. However,youcanmakesureyourbodyhasthecalciumitneedsbypayingattentiontowhatyou eatandmakingsureyougetenoughphysicalactivity.Consumecalcium-richfoodsinyourdietand exercisemoderatelyeachdaytomaintainhealthybones. MakesureyouincludefoodsinyourdietthatcontainvitaminDsuchas:
VitaminD
Page2of3
See your doctor SeeyourdoctorifyouthinkyoumaybeatriskofvitaminDdeficiency.Asimplebloodtestcan assessyourrisk.Ifyouareatrisk,makesureyouhaveregularmedicalcheck-ups.Thedoctormay recommendthatyoutakevitaminDsupplements.Ifso,takethesupplementsstrictlyasdirected. Where to get help Yourdoctor MaternalandChildHealthnurse AnAccreditedPractisingDietitian,contacttheDietitiansAssociationofAustralia Nurse-on-CallTel.1300606024forexperthealthinformationandadvice24hours,7 days SunSmart
Things to remember MostofourvitaminDcomesfromsunlighthittingtheskin. SomepeopleareatincreasedriskofvitaminDdeficiency:forexample,peoplewith naturallyverydarkskin,peoplewhocovertheirskinforculturalorreligiousreasons, peoplewhospendmostoralloftheirtimeindoorsandpeoplewithverylowexposureto sunlightforanyotherreason. VitaminDdeficiencyincreasestheriskofvariousmusculoskeletalconditionsincluding rickets(soft,weakenedbones)inchildrenandosteomalacia(weak,fragilebones)inolder adults.
This page has been produced in consultation with, and approved by:
DHS-OfficeoftheChiefHealthOfficer
VitaminD
Page3of3