Breast Feeding and Vitamin D
Posted on | August 11, 2009 | Comments Off
In 1997-1998 one of Texas hospital studies about the connection between breastfed and vitamin D that people give to their baby, and its for either African American or Hispanic. Their conclusion are:
- All children were either African-American or Hispanic
- All were predominantly or exclusively breastfed
- None received vitamin D supplementation
Based on these results, the researchers recommend that all dark-skinned,
Deficiency in vitamin D in childhood leads to abnormal bone formation, can result in bow legs, knock knees and spinal curvature. A deficiency of vitamin D in adults can lead to a condition called osteomalacia, in which the bones become soft.
Vitamin D is an important nutrient, involved in the metabolism of calcium and phosphorus for bone and tooth formation, that can be obtained either from sunlight exposure or from the diet. Fish is the best natural dietary source, but it is also added to most milk.
The researchers suggest that melanin, the pigment that darkens skin, may act as a natural sunscreen and reduce the amount of vitamin D the body produces from sunlight exposure.
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