People with long-term pancreas inflammation often lack vitamin D — about 6 in 10 of them do — but even those with very damaged pancreases aren’t more likely to be deficient than those with milder damage, so how bad the pancreas looks on a scan doesn’t tell you if someone needs more vitamin D.

People with a long-term pancreas problem that stops it from digesting food properly often lack key vitamins like D, A, and E—more than half are low in vitamin D, which can happen because their body can’t absorb fats well.

Even when people with chronic pancreatitis take pills to help digest food, many still lack important vitamins like D, A, and E—because their pancreas can’t properly absorb fats, and those vitamins come with fat.

Your body doesn't make enough vitamin D not because you're not getting enough sun or food, but because your pancreas or liver isn't working right — so the deficiency is a sign of a deeper problem, not the root cause.

If your pancreas isn't making enough digestive juices, taking vitamin D pills won't help because your body can't absorb the vitamin properly—it needs fat to soak it up, and your pancreas isn't helping with that.

When your pancreas doesn't make enough digestive enzymes, your body can't break down fats properly, so you can't absorb important vitamins like A, D, E, and K from your food — leading to deficiencies.