Vitamin D deficiencies can cause or contribute to diseases such as colorectal and prostate cancers, high blood pressure, and kidney and heart diseases

Nearly every body tissue has receptors for Vitamin D, among them the intestines, brain, heart, skin, sex organs, breasts and lymphocytes as well as the placenta.  The active Vitamin D hormone is known to influence the expression of more than 200 genes (Brody, 2012).  Vitamin D deficiencies can cause or contribute to diseases such as colorectal and prostate cancers, high blood pressure, and kidney and heart diseases, which affect black Americans at higher rates than whites.

The renowned Mayo Clinic (2012) has listed several diseases that can be impacted by the use of Vitamin D including:  Familial hypophosphatemia (low levels of phosphate in blood); Fanconi syndrome-related hypophosphatemia (defect in the proximal tubules of the kidney); hyperparathyroidism (overactive thyroid due to low Vitamin D levels); hypocalcemia due to hyperparathyroidism; osteomalacia (adult rickets); psoriasis (Vitamin D analogs); and rickets.

The Mayo Clinic (2012) has also identified various diseases associated with Vitamin D deficiency that can be treated with Vitamin D supplementation.  Some of these diseases include bone loss, osteoarthritis, muscle weakness/pain, osteoporosis (cystic fibrosis patients), renal and hepatic osteodystrophy, autoimmune diseases, multiple sclerosis, cancer prevention (breast, colorectal, prostate, other), cognitive issues, mood disorders, kidney disease (chronic), hyperlipidemia, hypertension, immunomodulation, asthma and other respiratory concerns, diabetes, skin conditions, skin pigmentation disorders, tooth retention, gastrointestinal issues and cardiovascular disease.

References

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• Clarke B. (2011). Medical Edge Newspaper Column. Mayo Clinic.
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• Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board. (2010). Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
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