Vitamin D & Liver Function
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Food Sources
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Foods with vitamin D are few, mainly fatty fish liver, beef liver and eggs. It can be difficult to obtain enough this way, so some foods are fortified, including milk, cereal and bread. Vitamin D is also readily obtained from sun exposure, but still must be converted by the liver and kidneys for use.
Vitamin D Conversion
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Conversion of vitamin D to its active form is called hydroxylation. The first hydroxylation occurs in the liver and the second in the kidneys.
Fat Malabsorption
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People who have fat malabsorption, or difficulty absorbing dietary fat, may need vitamin D supplementation because it is fat soluble. Liver impairment can cause fat malabsorption.
Chronic Liver Disease
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University of Tennessee researchers measured vitamin D levels of patients with chronic liver disease, such as hepatitis and cirrhosis, and found over 92 percent had some level of vitamin D deficiency.
Cirrhosis
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Severe vitamin D deficiency in the Tennessee study was more likely in people with cirrhosis than with other liver issues.
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