Jackson College has partnered with Henry Ford Jackson Hospital to offer Jackson College students and employees medical care evaluation and treatment from the clinic’s caring staff. A licensed nurse practitioner and technical staff will be in the office to see patients, make diagnosis and assessment, prescribe medications or make referrals. |
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HEALTH CLINIC HOURS
Monday - Thursday: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Friday: 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. (virtual care only)
Call 517.990.1374 to make an appointment. |
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Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that promotes calcium absorption in the gut and maintains appropriate serum calcium and phosphate concentrations to enable proper bone mineralization. It is necessary for adequate growth. Vitamin D prevents soft or brittle bones and rickets from occurring. Other functions of Vitamin D include modulation of cell growth, reduction of inflammation and neuromuscular and immune function (NIH). |
How much Vitamin D Do I need?
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Vitamin D and calcium need go hand in hand. The following is a good guideline in determining how much calclium a person needs a day (endocrineweb): |
| • | | 1 - 3: 500mg |
| • | | 4 - 8: 800mg |
| • | | 9 - 18: 1,300mg |
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| • | | 19 - 49: 1,000mg |
| • | | 50+: 1,200mg |
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Pregnant/Breastfeeding Moms |
| • | | 18 & under: 1,300mg daily |
| • | | 19+: 1,000mg daily |
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Vitamin D is a substance primarily responsible for maintaining strong bones and teeth and plays an important role in calcium absorption. One would be at a high risk for broken bones without adequate Vitamin D levels (WebMD). |
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You may be at higher risk if you fall into one of the following categories: |
| • | | If you avoid the sun |
| • | | Work indoors |
| • | | Suffer from milk allergy |
| • | | Wear sunscreen daily |
| • | | Are from a darker skin ethnicity |
| • | | Live in a Northern state |
| • | | Eat a strict vegetarian diet (WebMD) |
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Where Do I Get Vitamin D?
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Vitamin D sources can be dietary, such as certain fish, fish oils, and egg yolks. Our bodies can synthesize Vitamin D from the sun as well. Darker skinned ethnic groups need to be exposed to sunshine longer as the melanin in the skin acts as a sunscreen. However, when we are not in the sun enough, or we do not eat foods rich in Vitamin D, we must take supplements to give our body what it needs (VDDSG). |
Do I Have Enough Vitamin D In My Body?
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A simple blood test can detect your level of Vitamin D. There is a form of treatment that involves taking a very high dose weekly for several weeks, then a daily maintenance dose. Rarely, Vitamin D toxicity does occur, but it can be very dangerous to have too much. |
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Symptoms of too little Vitamin D in the body are very subtle. Symptoms may include: |
| • | | Bone Pain |
| • | | Bone Breaks |
| • | | Muscle Weakness (Vitamin D is needed for proper function of the muscles.) |
| • | | The Flu (Low Vitamin D has been linked to increase in respiratory infections in children) |
| • | | Psoriasis (Vitamin D has been found to be helpful in treatment of psoriasis.) |
| • | | Kidney Disease (People with kidney disease may be more likely to be unable to synthesize Vitamin D.) |
| • | | Diabetes (A study in Finland has proven that children that had taken 2000 IUs of Vitamin D the first day of life had reduced their chance of developing Type 1 diabetes by 80 percent.) |
| • | | Asthma (Subjects taking a dose of 1200 IUs had a decreased risk of asthma attacks.) |
| • | | Periodontal Disease (Raising Vitamin D levels produces fensins and cathelicidin, which are compounds that may lower the bacterial count in the mouth.) |
| • | | Heart Disease (Congestive heart failure has been associated with lack of Vitamin D.) |
| • | | Schizophrenia and Depression (Both conditions have been linked to Vitamin D deficiency.) |
| • | | Cancer (Research has revealed that there is a connection between Vitamin D intake and reduced risk of breast cancer) (Natural News, 2012.) |
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