Mercola Natural Health Blog

Vitamin D deficiency is a condition marked by an insufficient serum level of vitamin D, a nutrient essential for optimal health, growth and development. The latest study published in Pediatrics revealed an alarming development: 7 out of 10 American children are getting very little vitamin D.

You can’t gauge a child’s state of health and tell if he/she lacks certain nutrients by merely looking at his/her outer appearance. Your child could have symptoms of vitamin D deficiency and you could be blissfully unaware until the deficiency translates into something health threatening.

If your child is vitamin D-deficient, his/her body will begin to reabsorb calcium from the skeleton, leading to rickets, weak bones and stunted growth.

The study also showed that girls, older children, African-American children, Mexican-American children, obese children, kids who drank little milk and kids with a sedentary lifestyle (those who spend more than four hours a day watching TV, playing video games or using computers) seem to be more vulnerable to vitamin D deficiency.

Osteopathic physician Joseph Mercola is among the health experts promoting the importance of vitamin D. For Dr. Mercola, the best source of vitamin D is through sun exposure. Now that it’s summer, your child has the opportunity to optimize his/her vitamin D levels by spending time outdoors.

Don’t slather too much sunscreen though, because it will hinder the vitamin D synthesis. Vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol is the most active form of vitamin D and is produced by your body when sunlight strikes bare skin.

Your children can also get vitamin D by eating foods such as animal fat, cod liver oil, eggs, fish, organ meats and raw milk; and by taking vitamin D supplements.

If you plan to give your child a vitamin D supplement, choose those that are based on vitamin D3. Some vitamin D supplements use vitamin D2 or ergocalciferol, which is a synthetic and less active form of vitamin D, Mercola explains.

Remember: Consult your physician and your child’s pediatrician whenever you take any type of supplements. If you or your child take vitamin D supplements, you need to use the 25-hydroxy vitamin D test to check your levels and make sure that you don’t overdose.