VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY AND ITS HEALTH CONSEQUENCES – A REVIEW

Abstract

The world is currently facing an unrecognized and untreated pandemic of Vitamin D Deficiency (VDD)1. VDD is a significant public health problem in both developed and developing countries, including India2. It is highly prevalent across all age groups. Vitamin D (VD) is a prehormone that humans obtain from foods and dietary supplements and by endogenous skin synthesis from7-dehydrocholesterol with sunlight exposure3. The present article reviews the etiology of VDD, physiological functions, sources, health consequences and prevalence of VDD in different regions of India.