What Causes A Vitamin D Deficiency?

Celiac Disease

Around sixty to seventy percent of celiac disease patients are also deficient in vitamin D. This is because the disease affects the body's ability to absorb nutrients in general. If individuals have this disease but still eat gluten, the villi, or little finger-like protrusions that line the small intestine and absorb nutrients, become damaged and wear away over time. This process is known as villous atrophy. There are many other possible causes of the condition, such as lymphoma, CVID, and various medications, but celiac disease is the most common.

Celiac disease patients may also have trouble with getting enough vitamin D because gluten-free foods tend not to be fortified with it as often as non-gluten-free foods. In this case, individuals should try adding more fish or vitamin D supplements to their diet. Increasing their sun exposure, safely of course, may also be helpful.

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Air Pollution

Air pollution contributes to the development of deficiencies in vitamin D, and researchers estimate patients who live in urban areas with higher pollution may have double the risk of developing these deficiencies compared to those in rural areas with less pollution. In particular, high tropospheric ozone content is believed to contribute heavily to the deficiencies because it blocks ultraviolet B rays from reaching the Earth's surface. With fewer ultraviolet rays reaching the atmosphere in polluted areas, patients are not able to absorb as much vitamin D through the skin as they could if pollution were minimized. Patients who live in areas with high levels of pollution may want to ask their physicians about having a blood test to measure their vitamin D levels. Doctors might suggest the use of daily vitamin D supplements for individuals who are at high risk of a deficiency.

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