Vitamin D Importance
Dr. Anthony DeMaria - Importance of Vitamin D and its role in the health of your feet
Vitamin D is a critical part to the maintenance of your foot health. It is the “building block” to supporting the health of your foot bones, as it helps to maintain the balance of calcium and phosphorus in your blood and bones. The bones in your feet are “alive” and are made up of cells that require a well-regulated balance of physiology to keep you going. If you suddenly stopped absorbing this vitamin, the calcium balance in your feet would decline, making you susceptible to developing fractures. If you don’t have enough of this vital vitamin, you can suffer other complications such as muscle weakness, inability to heal bones after fracture or surgery, and even depression.
- Causes: inadequate sun exposure, as your skin helps to make this vitamin (often seen in winter months), poor dietary intake, inability to absorb vitamin D (usually genetic component or after weight loss surgeries), obesity, and level of activity.Vitamin D deficiency may lead to the development of stress fractures, as you will often first feel bone pain your feet, as this is what absorbs the brunt of most of your daily activities. This can be a symptom of a stress fracture, which can also be accompanied by mood changes (depression), and fatigue. (** SEE our information on Stress Fractures in the Treatments section of the website).
- Treatment: Treatment starts with establishing your baseline Vitamin D level, which will require a blood draw from a lab to ensure you are absorbing an adequate amount daily. We all absorb our vitamins and nutrients at different levels, depending on age, weight, activity level, and medical conditions.Sunlight and Diet are generally the first things to consider. Foods rich in Vitamin D are sought after, such as egg yolks, salmon, cod liver oil, mushrooms, cheese, and butter. Vitamin D is synthesized your skin when exposed to sunlight, so daily exposure of at least 10-20 minutes several times a week helps.
Supplements such as vitamin D3 are beneficial and usually recommended to take in conjunction with K2. The recommended daily dosage for vitamin D3 typically ranges from 2,000 to 10,000 IU (50 mcg to 250 mcg), while for vitamin K2, at least 2.5 mg is suggested.
Why K2? K2 (aka potassium) helps integrate D3 into your body much more efficiently. It’s best to consult a healthcare provider for personalized recommendations based on your health needs.
Call Ability Foot & Ankle at (859) 746-3668 to schedule an appointment to see what treatment plan is best for you.
