Vegans, watch your Vitamin D!

All winter my friend had been suffering from fatigue, weakness and muscle aches. Apprehensive, she visited her doctor. To her relief, the diagnosis was straightforward and easily-treated: vitamin D deficiency.

The need for D

Vitamin D promotes calcium uptake in the gut, allowing calcium from food to be properly absorbed and used by the body. My friends’ aches were signals from her bones and muscles that they needed more calcium. Seeing a doctor quickly was a good decision on her part; if left untreated, calcium deficiency can result in osteomalacia (soft bones) or, eventually, osteoporosis. Vitamin D also has other roles in …read more