Vitamin D works together with calcium to keep our bones, teeth and muscles healthy. It also plays a critical role in keeping the immune system strong and may help reduce inflammation in the body.

“If someone breaks their hip without having a serious accident, we’ll check their vitamin D levels through a simple blood test,” says Dr. Elizabeth Dixon, physician at Tidelands Health Family Medicine at Murrells Inlet. “We also do routine screenings to find deficiencies early because up to 20 percent of older people will die within a year after a hip fracture, and adequate vitamin D levels can help prevent fractures.”

The body produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, so we can make some of what we need just by being outside in the sun for a few minutes a day. If you plan to be outside longer than that, it is recommended you wear sunscreen to help prevent burning, skin cancer and premature aging.

In addition to sunshine, there are a few foods that contain vitamin D:

• Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel and trout, and fish liver oils
• Fortified milk and cereals
• Egg yolks
• Mushrooms

Nearly a quarter of Americans don’t have enough vitamin D in their blood to protect their bones and overall health, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Some people who may have an increased risk of vitamin D deficiency:

• Infants and children up to 4 years of age
• People with darker skin, because higher levels of melanin in the skin decrease vitamin D production
• The elderly, as aging skin can be less efficient at absorption
• People on vegan diets
• Those with malabsorption disorders such as celiac or Crohn’s disease
• People with obesity or who have undergone gastric bypass surgery

Dr. Dixon says the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency can include fatigue, depression, slow wound healing and back and bone pain.

Without detection and treatment, she says those with a vitamin D deficiency eventually may suffer from thinning bones – or osteoporosis – as well as be at an increased risk of poor outcomes from chronic inflammatory diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and chronic kidney disease.

“While diet changes can help, if a patient’s blood work indicates a vitamin D deficiency, I will usually recommend they take a supplement,” Dr. Dixon says. “Strong bones and good overall health help people keep their mobility and independence longer. As we age, that’s an important priority to focus on.”