Both vitamin D deficiency, as well as vitamin D excess, may cause hair loss. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that can be obtained through diet, but it is also produced by the body when exposed to sunlight. Although most people get enough vitamin d from food, some may not because they are deficient in this nutrient. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to rickets and osteomalacia (softening of bones), which cause skeletal deformities and bone pain. In addition, low levels of vitamin d have been associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease as well as certain cancers such as colon cancer and breast cancer.
Treatment of vitamin d deficiency
The treatment of vitamin D deficiency depends on the severity and duration of deficiency. In mild cases, oral supplementation with vitamin D3 may be sufficient. However, in severe cases, such as those with rickets (a bone disease), the condition must be corrected surgically by removing or replacing any affected bones.
Who is at risk of vitamin D deficiency?
Infants are at risk. Breastfed infants are those who have been breastfed for the first six months of life. Breastfeeding is defined as any infant feeding from a mother's breast, whether or not milk transfer occurs. The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life and continued breastfeeding until 2 years of age or beyond . A baby should be exclusively breastfed from birth to 12 months and then continue on to two years old with complementary foods . According to the American Academy of Pediatrics' policy statement on breastfeeding: "Breastfeeding protects against many infectious diseases in childhood including diarrhea.
People with dark skin are at risk. The people of the Arctic are dark skinned. This is because they live in a cold climate and have had to adapt to it over thousands of years.
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