Do you think vitamin D is just another one of the alphabet vitamins - A, B12, C, D, E and so forth - and that it's nothing to worry about? avoid the sun? Are you lactose intolerant? have very dark skin? Are you a vegan or strict vegetarian? Are you past the age of 60 or postmenopausal? If you answered yes to two or more of these questions, you could be at risk for a vitamin D deficiency. And the consequences of this deficiency could be terrible. What does vitamin D do? Vitamin D helps the body use the calcium in the diet, so it is very important for strong bones. Postmenopausal women are at a high risk for developing osteoporosis - a weakening of the bones. In fact, the word osteoporosis literally means "porous bones." The reason postmenopausal women are at high risk for developing this disease is because after menopause, her body stops making hormones such as estrogen. This loss in estrogen production leads to bone loss because it decreases the body's ability to absorb calcium. In turn, this can result in a decrease in bone mass of about 3% to 5% per year. Here's the potential consequence of this. If, for example, it has been 15 years since you went through menopause, you may have lost 45% or more of your bone mass. This means that if you were to fall down, you would almost surely break a bone. In fact, many women in their 60s and 70s have fallen, broken a hip and since their bones are so slow to heal, they have never fully recovered. Other risks of a vitamin D deficiency If you are suffering muscle weakness and bone pain, you may have a vitamin D deficiency. One of biggest problems of this condition is that its symptoms can be very subtle. So, even if you are not experiencing these symptoms, a vitamin D deficiency can pose a risk to your health. In fact, low levels of vitamin D in the blood have been associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease and cognitive impairment in older adults. There has even been research suggesting that vitamin D could help play a part in preventing or treating a number of different diseases, including multiple sclerosis, hypertension, type 1 and type 2 diabetes and glucose intolerance. How to make up for a vitamin D deficiency If you answered "yes" to two or more of the questions posed at the beginning of this article, you may be at risk of a vitamin D deficiency. To increase the vitamin D in your system, you could simply get more and enjoy the sunshine. The sun's rays stimulate your body to manufacture vitamin D.For more info,Please visit Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms You could also eat food high in vitamin D, such as fish oil, cod liver oil, herring, wild channel catfish, sockeye salmon, halibut, sardines, shrimp and mackerel. Many foods are also fortified with vitamin D such as milk and many breakfast cereals. You could also take a vitamin D supplement or a multivitamin containing vitamin D. When selecting a supplement, you should consider that recommended daily allowance of vitamin D is 600 IU for ages 1 to 70 and 800 IU for adults over 70. As you have read, having a vitamin D deficiency can be a serious risk to your health, but increasing the vitamin D in your system is pretty simple. If you are still concerned about a vitamin d deficiency, visit your doctor. A simple blood test can measure the level of vitamin D in your system. Please visit VitaminDDeficiencySymptoms.net for more on on vitamin D deficiency symptoms including an article on vitamin D deficiency in women. Related Articles - vitamin D deficiency, risks for a vitamin D deficiency, Email this Article to a Friend! Receive Articles like this one direct to your email box!Subscribe for free today!You can also go to this URL