In order to have good health, our bodies are in need of a group of chemicals known as Vitamins and one of the most important is Vitamin D which is a fat-soluble Vitamin. The reason behind this is that Vitamin D has several functions such as it promotes absorption of calcium in the gut, it sustains sufficient serum calcium plus phosphate concentrations in order for the bone to mineralize normally and it is necessary for the growth of the bones and bone remodeling. If a body has insufficient Vitamin D, it may result to suffering from symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency.

What is Vitamin D deficiency? Simple, it is a medical condition suffered by a person who has inadequate Vitamin D in his or her body either because of inadequate exposure to sunlight, or the dietary plan does not include Vitamin D-rich foods or the inability of the body to absorb Vitamin D. Obviously, this is an opposite of optimum nutrition. This is a condition that must not be taken lightly because one of the most important parts of the body can be greatly affected and that is the bone, hence enough knowledge should be had about the symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency.

The symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency differ as to whether the person affected is a child or an adult. Here are the common symptoms for each group:

For Babies and Children

• Poor growth
• Muscle spasms, seizures and difficulty in breathing
• Soft skull or soft leg bones (Rickets)
• Unusual irritability
• Heart muscle weakness
• Prone to respiratory symptoms and other infections (severe cases)
• Late tooth development

Adults

• Bone pains especially in the hips, pelvis, ribs, thighs and feet
• Weak muscles and muscle pains.

In order to avoid or get rid of these symptoms and attain optimum nutrition, one good thing to do is to expose yourself more to sunlight since it is a good source of Vitamin D. Another is to eat enough Vitamin D foods such as sardines, herring, pilchards, tuna, mackerel, salmon, egg yolk, mushroom, cheese, butter, milk, and fortified foods like some cereals and margarine. You can also take Vitamin D supplements to increase Vitamin D intake.

It is highly recommended that you go over the symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency and take note of them.  Otherwise, you might compromise your health or your family's health. I'm sure all you want your family to have is optimum nutrition and this is the way to do it.