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Why can pancreatic disease cause deficiencies of fat-soluble vitamins?

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rickets, a nutritional disease — nutritional disease Children with rickets. The disease, which most commonly strikes children, causes bone deformities such as bowlegs. Rickets is caused by a lack of vitamin D or calcium.

Pancreatic disease can lead to deficiencies of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) because it disrupts the normal process of fat digestion and absorption.12

Efficient absorption of fat-soluble vitamins in the intestine requires the presence of bile salts and adequate digestive enzymes produced by the pancreas. When pancreatic function is impaired—such as in chronic pancreatitis or cystic fibrosis—these necessary enzymes may fail to reach the intestines.324

Because fat-soluble vitamins are absorbed alongside dietary fats, any condition that inhibits fat absorption—often evidenced by steatorrhea, or the excretion of excessive fat in the stool—simultaneously prevents the body from properly absorbing these essential vitamins. Consequently, this results in a secondary or conditioned deficiency, even if dietary intake is otherwise sufficient. Treatment typically involves the ingestion of oral pancreatic enzyme supplements to correct this malabsorption.3251