How to be human

With just about everyone in the USA suffering for a vitamin D deficiency, it begs the question “what are the effects of a vitamin D deficiency? We put our @Fancyhands to the task of researching it and boiled it down to this:

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/vitamin-d-deficiency-symptoms.html 
Vitamin D deficiency symptoms show up as disorders. It is a result of lack of sunlight reaching the skin. Here are a few vitamin D deficiency symptoms for your knowledge. 

Depression 
Over the last 80 years, it has been found that the rate of depression has been on the rise. Scientists attribute this rise to lack of vitamin D. They say, due to urbanization, tall building, clothes, industrialization and pollution, inadequate sunlight reaches the skin. This reduces the 25(OH)D levels in the body, leading to depression. It is also found that during winter, many people suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) due to lack of exposure to sunlight. A hormone known as the parathyroid hormone is known to be responsible for vitamin D deficiency symptom - depression. 

Rickets 
Rickets is the most commonly observed vitamin D deficiency symptoms in children. Due to vitamin D deficiency, the bones become weak and the legs begin to bow down due to the body’s pressure exerted by the weight. As the vitamin D is in deficit, the bone tissues do not mineralize, which makes them soft and deformed. 

Osteoporosis 
Osteoporosis is similar to ricket. However, this medical condition is seen as vitamin D deficiency symptoms in adults. It is a disease of the bone, wherein the bones become prone to fractures. Osteoporosis occurs due to lack of vitamin D metabolism leading to poor calcification in bones. Due to low vitamin D in the body, the bones become soft and brittle. 

Fatigue 
Fresh air and sunshine are the age-old remedies for good health. Lack of synthesis of vitamin D in the morning can lead to fatigue. It increases tiredness, as proper mineralization of bones does not take place. In the western culture, people mostly stay indoors during winters. It has increased the possibility of vitamin D deficiency symptoms like fatigue. 

Hyperparathyroidism 
Hyperparathyroidism results from hypocalcemia. Hypocalcemia is a blood condition, which has abnormally low levels of vitamin D. This leads to hyperparathyroidism, which further hinders the absorption of vitamin D due to loss of phosphate through excretion. 

Obesity 
Lack of vitamin D is linked to obesity. Low levels of vitamin D retard the production of hormone leptin, which is responsible for fat regulation in the body. This hormone informs the brain when the stomach is full. However, when the exposure to sunlight in inadequate, functioning of this hormone gets disrupted, causing the person to eat more than what is required for the body, leading to weight gain. 

Chronic Backache 
The back bone is an important part of the body. Sometimes, lack of vitamin D can lead to chronic backache 

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/health-conditions/mental-health-and-learning-disorders/depression/ 
•A lifetime history of depression may be a risk factor for later development of Alzheimer’s disease. Depression may increase the risk of mild cognitive impairment that turns into Alzheimer’s. Patients with Alzheimer’s and depression have more pronounced hallmarks of the Alzheimer’s brain than patients with Alzheimer’s who are not depressed. Studies indicate vitamin D deficiency may also be a risk factor in Alzheimer’s. 
•One study showed that, in the United States, vitamin D deficiency occurred more often in certain people. These people were African-Americans, living in cities, obese, and depressed. People with vitamin D levels below 20 ng/mL (50 nmol/L) had an 85% increased risk of depression compared to those with vitamin D levels greater than 30 ng/mL (75 nmol/L). 

http://www.webmd.com/diet/vitamin-d-deficiency 
Symptoms and Health Risks of Vitamin D Deficiency 

Symptoms of bone pain and muscle weakness can mean you have a vitamin D deficiency. However, for many people, the symptoms are subtle. Yet even without symptoms, too little vitamin D can pose health risks. Low blood levels of the vitamin have been associated with the following: 
Increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease 
Cognitive impairment in older adults 
Severe asthma in children 
Cancer 

Research suggests that vitamin D could play a role in the prevention and treatment of a number of different conditions, including type1 and type 2 diabetes, hypertension, glucose intolerance, and multiple sclerosis. 


http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/news/20110330/most-americans-get-enough-vitamin-d 
March 30, 2011— Two-thirds of Americans are getting enough vitamin D, according to a new analysis by researchers from the National Center for Health Statistics. 

Vitamin D is often called the “sunshine vitamin” because our bodies make it when exposed to sunlight. It is found in some fatty fish such as salmon and tuna, and in cheese and eggs. It is often added to milk. 

In recent years, vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a host of diseases and conditions, including brittle bones, heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers, and autoimmune diseases. 

The analysis shows that from 2001 to 2006, 67% of Americans age 1 or older had blood levels of vitamin D that fell between 50 to 125 nanomoles per liter, which is considered adequate. Another 24% were at risk for inadequate levels of vitamin D, with blood levels of 30 to 49 nmol/L; 8% were at risk of deficiency, which is defined as less than 30 nmol/L. Just 1% of the population has blood levels that were too high. 

In November 2010, an Institute of Medicine (IOM) panel called for a modest increase in vitamin D, raising the recommended daily intake to 600 international units (IU) for everyone aged 1-70 and to 800 IU for adults older than 70 to improve bone health 

In the study, those who were at the lowest risk for vitamin D deficiency or inadequacy were children, males, non-Hispanic whites, and women who were pregnant or breastfeeding. The risk of deficiency was lowest in children ages 1 to 8 and increased with age until about age 30, the study showed. 

The analysis was based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys that includes about 5,000 Americans each year. 

Strangely, it seems that like so many thinks ailing the American public getting off your ass and being active is a great start to getting healthy.