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Vitamin D, the “sunshine vitamin,” is best known for its role in bone health. It helps your body absorb calcium, which keeps your bones strong. Without vitamin D, you’re more at risk of fractures and bone diseases.
It turns out, vitamin D is just as important for your kidneys. In fact, studies indicate that having low levels of vitamin D may be a sign that your kidneys are in poor shape or that you may have chronic kidney disease. Conversely, impaired kidney function due to kidney disease can result in vitamin D deficiency.
A study published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases even showed that people who are deficient in vitamin D are more than twice as likely to develop albuminuria, which is an early sign of kidney disease.
Additionally, people with fatty liver disease also typically have low vitamin D levels because their livers’ ability to process vitamin D is impaired.
Your kidneys act as filters, ridding your body of toxins and potentially harmful waste substances. They work to convert vitamin D from foods into vitamin D3, the active form of the nutrient that your body needs.
Experts find that people with chronic kidney disease typically have severely low vitamin D levels, which likely happens because injured or impaired kidneys are less able to convert vitamin D into its active form.
You need vitamin D3 to properly absorb essential bone-building nutrients. Vitamin D3 also lowers your risk of developing bone conditions like osteoporosis, which literally means “porous bone,” as you age. Plus, research shows that vitamin D3 is associated with weight loss, better mental health and a lower risk of heart attack.
Needless to say, vitamin D3 is extremely important for your overall health. Having low levels or being deficient in this nutrient can lead to a variety of health issues, one of the worst being kidney disease.
These days, physicians use a blood test to determine how much vitamin D you have in your body. But there are also some telltale signs you can look out for to determine whether it’s time to spend more time outdoors or add more vitamin D-rich foods to your diet. These signs include:
Your best defense against health problems associated with vitamin D deficiency is to maintain healthy levels of vitamin D. One way to do that is to eat more foods rich in vitamin D as part of a balanced diet. Vitamin D-rich foods include fish, shellfish, wild mushrooms, egg yolks and cheese.
Spending time outdoors when it’s sunny will also help your body produce more vitamin D. Make it a habit to exercise outdoors, take walks around the neighborhood or tend to your garden in the morning.
Some people might need to take vitamin D supplements. These include people who follow vegan or vegetarian diets and people who are at risk of poor nutrient absorption.
Being deficient in vitamin D spells trouble for your health. You may experience issues like bone pain, brain fog and hair loss or even develop serious conditions like chronic kidney disease. Avoid health issues linked to vitamin D deficiency by eating more vitamin D-rich foods and spending a few minutes outside to catch some early morning sun.
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