Rickets – What is it?

Rickets is defined as and caused by the failure of osteoid to calcify during a person's growth period. That's a mouthful. Even thinking about the consequences of osteoid failing to calcify is enough to send one to the kitchen for chocolate mousse...double up on the helping please.

But seriously, all chocolate mousse aside, Rickets occurs due to vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is formed in the body by exposure to the sun. Another source of vitamin D is Ergosterol, (vitamin D-2). It is contained in fish liver oil or as an irradiated plant steroid and can be taken orally with very successful effects. Recommendation? Chase it with chocolate mousse.

Rickets was most likely the first childhood disease directly caused by pollution of the environment. During the Industrial Revolution, the factories produced so much smoke that it blocked the Sun's rays causing a Rickets epidemic. Today, Rickets is rare in the United States.

Rickets may be seen in children ages 6-24 months but is not common in newborns. It is most likely to occur during periods of rapid growth, when the body demands high levels of calcium and phosphate. A recent study suggests that vitamin D supplements taken in infancy may lead to increased bone density in adult women, which could prevent osteoporosis. And if we eat too much chocolate mousse, we may need that bone density to help carry our bodies back to the kitchen.

Vegetarians and people who don't drink milk products or are lactose intolerant and cannot properly digest milk products, may not be consuming enough calcium and phosphorous in their diets and this can also cause rickets.

Rickets symptoms may include:

• Bone pain or tenderness in arms, legs, spine or pelvis
• Increased tendency toward bone fractures
• Skeletal deformities including bowlegs, forward projection of the breastbone (pigeon chest), bumps in the rib cage, asymmetrical or odd-shaped skull, spine and pelvic deformities
• Dental deformities such as delayed formation of teeth, holes in the enamel, increased cavities
• Muscle cramps
• Impaired growth in children and short stature in adults

Any time you have any unexplained or reoccurring pain, schedule an immediate appointment with your physician. Never let your health take a second seat to any other issues in life.

Rickets is a disease that is easily preventable in most cases. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And eating that pound of chocolate mousse, one bite at a time, may not cure anything, but it sure is fun in between those healthy doses of exercise and natural foods. Just make sure it's Healthy Chocolate Mousse.