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What are the Symptoms of Vitamin D2 Deficiency?
The symptoms of vitamin D2 deficiency include osteoporosis, backache, muscle weakness, bone pain and fractures. These are essentially related to a softening of the bone. Vitamin D2 is essential for the maintenance of calcium and phosphate levels. The symptoms of vitamin D2 deficiency in children also include abnormal bone development.
Vitamin D2, otherwise known as ergocalciferol, is an essential vitamin, and it is fat-soluble. If somebody has a deficiency in vitamin D2, he or she is likely to have either not gone out in the sun for a long time or does not get enough vitamin D2 in his or her diet. Vitamin D2 is present in fish such as sardines, salmon, herring and tuna, as well as in liver, egg yolks and dairy products. A normal, healthy person who goes outside for a sufficient amount of time will not have a deficiency in vitamin D2.
This helps to put the symptoms of vitamin D2 deficiency into context. They include vague conditions such as backache and muscle weakness, but these conditions on their own are not necessarily indicative of a severe vitamin D2 deficiency. If any of these symptoms occur, the person exhibiting them would have to either rarely go outside for a sufficient amount of time or have a problematic diet.
Osteoporosis is a condition that literally translates to “porous bones” but essentially means brittle bones. Although it is one of the symptoms of vitamin D2 deficiency, the deficiency in itself is not the sole cause of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis normally affects older people, but the lack of calcium that is brought on by a vitamin D2 deficiency can be a contributing factor in younger people.
To combat the symptoms of vitamin D2 deficiency, it is possible to get ergocalciferol in the form of tablets or an injection. The tablets are often combined with calcium, because vitamin D2 is closely linked to calcium levels. Anybody wanting to take ergocalciferol supplements should discuss it with his or her doctor beforehand.
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![Vitamin D2 is present in salmon.]()
By: dulsitaVitamin D2 is present in salmon. -
![Sardines -- a type of small fish in the herring family -- are rich in calcium and other minerals, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids.]()
By: Picture PartnersSardines -- a type of small fish in the herring family -- are rich in calcium and other minerals, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids. -
![Osteoporosis often affects older people, but the lack of calcium that is brought on by a vitamin D2 deficiency can be a contributing factor in younger people.]()
By: peterjunaidyOsteoporosis often affects older people, but the lack of calcium that is brought on by a vitamin D2 deficiency can be a contributing factor in younger people. -
![Muscle weakness can signal a vitamin D2 deficiency.]()
By: AmbroseMuscle weakness can signal a vitamin D2 deficiency. -
![A vitamin D2 deficiency may cause weak bones.]()
By: ivolodinaA vitamin D2 deficiency may cause weak bones. -
![By spending 30 minutes in the sun, a person's body can make the equivalent of 10,000 international units of vitamin D.]()
By: Natalya GlinskayaBy spending 30 minutes in the sun, a person's body can make the equivalent of 10,000 international units of vitamin D. -
![Tuna is a source of vitamin D2.]()
By: Comugnero SilvanaTuna is a source of vitamin D2.
Discussion Comments
@Grivusangel -- College student, right? Honestly. You can't make a complete change in your diet like that without doing a lot of research. I decided to go mostly vegetarian several years ago, and I started with a dietician. I didn't know how to eat veggie, and had to learn.
Anyway, I do eat fish now and then, along with eggs. It's just not easy to get all my nutrients only from the plant kingdom. I spent a week at The Farm in Summertown, Tennessee, to get a feel for how they eat, since they're all vegetarians, and I learned a *lot.* Since they do a lot of communal cooking, they add some supplements to their food, like B12 and Vitamin D.
I always know when I'm low in Vitamin D because I start feeling draggy. A couple of days on supplements and I perk right up.
My cousin got this when she went on a strict vegan diet without doing any research. She just did what her friends said she should do and ended up in the hospital. Her bloodwork was a mess.
Her doctor said he was fine with her going vegan, but she was going to consult with his nutritionist about how to make sure she was getting enough vitamins, minerals, protein, etc. She was severely deficient in D2 and B12, iron and calcium. She had to have IV infusions to get her vitamin levels corrected.
She finally decided that eating an egg once in a while, or grilled salmon or tuna was easier than doing a strict vegan diet all the time. Her doctor told her that going to her buddies for dietary advice wasn't any better than relying on the Internet for it.
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