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Mlpaddict t1_iziyxia wrote

Reply to comment by [deleted] in Can an x-ray of an adult show chronic malnourishment in childhood? by Foxs-In-A-Trenchcoat

Rickets is not (just?) Calcium deficiency. It's vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin. In some northern countries the sun isn't strong enough for your body to make vitamin D all year round.

That's why commercially available milk tends to have vitamin D added to it.

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Arcticsnorkler t1_izjkfea wrote

I can attest. Grew up in the sub-Arctic and my vitamin D test = zero. Also super common to have low D in places where sunscreen use is common, like in Australia.

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daywalkker t1_izj05qy wrote

Your physiology still requires sunlight to activate the vitamin D. You can drink all the vitamin D fortified milk you want, but if you completely avoid sunlight, you will be deficient in the active form of vitamin D.

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PyroDesu t1_izjb20k wrote

Not true!

Sun (or more specifically, UV-B) exposure only generates the inactive cholecalciferol, the same stuff you can get from diet (diet can also give you ergocalciferol, the plant-based version, which works too). The activation process is two enzyme hydroxylation steps, first in the liver and second in the kidneys.

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