Introduction
Vitamin D, also called sunlight vitamin, can keep the bones, muscles, and teeth healthy. Vitamin D deficiency or hypovitaminosis D is a common condition affecting older people. Vitamin D deficiency presents a range of signs and symptoms, which may usually get confused with some other diseases or disorders.
What Is Vitamin D?
Calcium is the primary building block of bones and teeth. Vitamin D increases the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the intestine. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin and is present in a few foods and some fortified food or food products (food or products that get added with an external vitamin to improve the nutritional quality). It is chemically known as calciferol. The two important types of vitamin D are vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol or pre-vitamin D) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol).
The body creates vitamin D on exposure to direct sunlight when outside, giving it the nickname ‘sunlight vitamin.’ It is also present in certain foods like some fishes, red meat, liver, and egg yolk. Vitamin D-fortified foods are also available.
What Is the Importance of Vitamin D in Older Adults?
Vitamin D helps to absorb calcium to build strong bones. Therefore, vitamin D is essential for individuals, especially older people, to perform various tasks.
-
It increases bone strength and health, thus reducing the chances of fractures.
-
It reduces weakness and pain in bones.
-
It reduces the chances of osteoporosis (thinning of bones), which is common in older adults, especially females.
-
It reduces the risk of certain infections and inflammations by improving defense mechanisms against bacteria and viruses.
-
It reduces the risk of cancer by decreasing the invasive ability and metastasis (spread of cancer).
Can Vitamin D Deficiency Cause Psychological Aging?
Vitamin D plays an essential role in brain development and cognitive functioning. Therefore, its low levels may lead to depression and other mood-related changes. Cognitive functioning refers to multiple abilities of the mind, which include remembering, decision-making, and problem-solving. Usually, cognitive functioning decreases with age, and vitamin D deficiency can worsen it even more.
Vitamin D deficiency in older people can lead to decreased ability to focus, pay attention, think, and process information. There are also chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease (shrinking of the brain and death of brain cells) and dementia (decreased memory, social abilities, and thinking) in case of severe deficiency in older people.
How Is Vitamin D Deficiency Related to Mental Depression?
Depression is a condition affecting feelings, thoughts, and behavior. Sudden loss of interest, difficulty sleeping, lack of focus, and feelings of isolation are the primary symptoms of depression. With age, people start spending less time outside under the sun, causing a significant reduction in vitamin D, which may be linked to depression. In older individuals, vitamin D supplements may reduce the symptoms of depression.
What Are the Conditions Associated With Vitamin D?
Vitamin D is associated with many health conditions. Certain health problems may get worse with vitamin D deficiency. Some of the associated physiological conditions are mentioned below:
Osteoporosis: Vitamin D helps absorb calcium, which is necessary for building and maintaining strong bones. A deficiency of vitamin D impairs this absorption, making the bones brittle, weak, and more susceptible to fracture. This condition is called osteoporosis, the chances of which increase with age, and females get affected more, especially post-menopause. Osteoporosis is the main factor causing dependence in older adults.
Immunity: The body’s immune system sends soldiers to fight against bacteria, viruses, and other infectious and inflammatory agents. Unfortunately, the immunity of a person gets weakened with age. As a result, the ability to tolerate and fight against infections gets harder. Vitamin D helps build a strong immune system and fights against bacterial infections.
The Risk of Cancer: Vitamin D may also reduce the risk of certain types of cancers, like colon, breast, and prostate cancer. Cancer starts by changing a few cells initially and gradually a group of cells. Vitamin D prevents the proliferation of cancerous cells to an extent, thus decreasing the spread of cancer.
How Are the Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms Shown?
Vitamin D deficiency is a common health issue and presents different symptoms. Some of them are:
-
Fatigue- It is the feeling of being over-tired most of the time. Fatigue in older age may get linked to the mental status causing depression. It may also affect the person’s ability to mingle with the family and society. It may also lead to a lack of exercise, leading to being overweight, decreased strength, and diminished health.
-
Bone Pain- Vitamin D deficiency can decrease bone density and muscle health. It can make the bones tender, impacting the movements and slowly affecting the balance and stability of motion.
-
Muscle Weakness- Muscle weakness, pain, or cramps may also be felt during hypovitaminosis D.
-
Mood Swings- Altered moods, feelings of isolation, suicidal tendencies, inability to concentrate, and depression are some psychological symptoms related to vitamin D deficiency.
Why Is It Important to Take Vitamin D Supplements in Old Age?
The food sources of vitamin D are minimal. In addition, since older adults prefer to stay indoors, the sunlight source will also be limited. Therefore, the only way to provide adequate vitamin D to the elderly is through supplements. It may be provided as a multivitamin or single vitamin supplement.
Should Everyone Take Vitamin Supplements?
Before taking the supplements, it is necessary to know if the person has a vitamin deficiency. The doctor may advise taking the necessary tests to diagnose the same. An increased amount of Vitamin D in the body may lead to hypervitaminosis D.
Hypervitaminosis D may initially show symptoms like fatigue, weight loss, nervousness, and overall weakness. Gradually it shows advanced symptoms like kidney damage, kidney stone, and bone loss.
Conclusion
Vitamin D is vital, and its deficiency is common. Therefore, it is essential to get medical advice if symptoms related to the deficiency start showing up. Everything in excess will always be a problem. The same applies in the case of all the nutrients. Therefore, supplements should only be taken after diagnosing the deficiency in the body.
