Vitamin D and kidney

You must be wondering how vitamin D is connected with our kidneys. Don’t worry, in this article we will learn everything that relates the kidney with vitamin D. We all know, the kidney is one of the most important organs in our body but you might not know, the kidney plays an essential function of helping our body in using vitamin D and regulate it’s level. There are two sources of vitamin D:- 1.) From the exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet B radiation. 2.) Absorbed from food and food supplements. The fatty fish is well-known as more enriched in vitamin D namely Salmon, Sardines, Cod and Tuna. This vitamin D obtained from the sources is converted by the kidneys to the active form of vitamin D that is needed for the functioning of kidneys. A healthy person’s kidneys are rich in vitamin D receptors and are more capable of turning vitamin D into an active form. The patients with (CKD) Chronic kidney disease have severe deficiency of vitamin D so they are recommended to take 25-(OH)- vitamin D. However, excess vitamin D can lead to kidney disease and damage. Vitamin D helps to strengthen the bones with calcium but increase the risk to kidneys. The excessive level of calcium in the blood led to kidney damage. Experts recommend an average person take 400-1000 IU amount of vitamin D daily.

Dosage of vitamin D

Nature’s law states that everything should be in a balanced manner to existing. The same law applies here, the balanced and adequate amount of vitamin D is good for kidneys but if the level is in extreme amount or the low amount it will affect your kidney simultaneously. The low level of vitamin D leads to chronic kidney disease and the extreme amount results in kidney damage. There is an accurate level for a daily dose of vitamin d is 25mgc which si 1000 UI. Studies have shown that a weekly dosing regime of 100u/kg body weight for dialysis patients allows great success of target serum 25[OH]D level in only 27% of cases.

Difference between oral or injection vitamin d

  1. After the conduction of the studies, this has been concluded that the level of vitamin d was higher in the patients who were treated with oral supplementation than in injection.
  2. The effect of oral supplementation had a good enough effect on serum 25[OH]D3 level in overweight persons. But sometimes patients often miss the regime due to which there inadequate level of vitamin d in the body.
  3. The expense a patient would spend on injection would be lesser as compared to the oral doses.
  4. The supplement of injection is not painful. As well some patients get the urge to vomit after the shot.
  5. A large percentage of the patients prefer injection over oral doses.

When to get vitamin D test

  1. If the patient has osteoporosis. Because this makes our bones weak.
  2. If you possess diseases that can resist your body from using vitamin d .eg: celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease and pancreatitis, thyroid.
  3. Lack of sunlight exposure.
  4. If you had gone through gastric bypass surgery.
  5. Having obese can lead to taking vitamin d tests.
  6. Having difficultly absorbing fats in the body.
  7. When a patient suffers from abnormal calcium, phosphorus etc.
  8. When a patient is at risk of deficiency of vitamin d.

How to monitor vitamin D levels 

The most appropriate way to test or monitor vitamin level d in our body is the 25-hydroxy vitamin d blood test.

We can even measure vitamin d at home through the vitamin d testing kits provided in the market or on online as well.

Note: There is a very slight risk at that the blood testing. There can be bruising after the test. But after the while it goes away.