Vitamin D is an important vitamin that has a powerful effect on several systems throughout the body. Unlike other vitamins, its functions like a hormone where every cell in your body has a receptor. Your body usually forms Vitamin D from cholesterol when your skin is exposed to sunlight.
Vitamin D deficiency is very common as it is estimated that about 1 billion people worldwide have a deficit of vitamins in their blood. Most people do not realize that they are deficient in vitamins even if they have a significant negative effect on their quality of life.
Sign And Symptoms Of Vitamin D Deficiency
A lot of symptoms are relatively nonspecific and can also be confounded by another kind of nutritional deficiency.
1) Fatigue and tiredness
Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency can look like the effects of everyday life where the people who have vitamin D insufficiency may not automatically know it or even notice. The case study has shown that the low blood level can cause fatigue that has a severe effect on the quality of life. 2 Unfortunately, it’s often overlooked as a cause.
2) Bone pain
Bone pain is considered one of the, most common and severe symptoms of vitamin D deficiency. As vitamin D helps in maintaining bone health and improve in the absorption of calcium, inadequate vitamin D level in blood leads to bone pain. It is likely to be experienced specifically as back pain. They looked at over 9,000 participation and found an association between back pain and deficiency of vitamin D.
3) Getting sick or infected
One of the most important roles of vitamin D is to keep our immune system strong so we are able to fight against various bacteria and viruses that cause illness. It directly interacts with the cells that are responsible to fight against the infection. If you often become sick, especially those with colds or flu then deficiency of vitamin D may be a contributing factor. Severe studies have shown a link between the deficiency of vitamin D and respiratory tract infections like colds and bronchitis.
4) Bone loss
Vitamin D supports bone health by preventing bone loss through conditions like osteoporosis. This is because vitamin D boosts your gut’s calcium absorption. It plays an important role in how bone is remolded. Vitamin D deficiency also causes osteomalacia or softening of the bones in most older adults. Adequate vitamin D intake and maintaining blood level within the optimal range may be a good strategy for protecting bone mass and reducing the risk of having fractures.
5) Hair loss
Hair loss is often attributed to stress which is a common cause. However, when hair loss is severe, it may be the result of disease or vitamin deficiency. Hair loss in women has been linked to the low amount of vitamin D though it is very little research on this to date. Low vitamin D levels are linked to alopecia areata and also a risk factor for various diseases.
6) Muscle weakness
Another factor can confound some signs of vitamin D deficiency as you might feel muscle weakness because you have been working out or restricting your calories to lose weight. If you have not slept enough but if you are feeling muscle strength suffer then mention it when you talk to a medical professional, especially if you are experiencing it along with other symptoms.
7) Depression
A depressed mood may also be a sign of a deficiency of vitamin D. 65% of observational studies found a correlation between low blood levels and depression. People who suffer from depression report an alleviation of their symptoms when researchers gave them vitamin Supplements.
8) Weight gain
There is an association between a low level of vitamin D and an increase in belly fat and weight circumference. Some of the studies state that correcting the low vitamin D level may also help the weight come off. Waist circumference, weight, and BMI all decreased in participants who are provided with vitamin D supplementation.
9) Inability to wound heal
Even minor scrapes and cuts take a long time to heal which might be the sign of low-level of vitamin D. When researcher looks at this vitamin’s ability to maintain glucose hemostasis, they found that it indirectly help with the wound healing process. The sunshine vitamin increased study participants’ glycemic control, which allowed their foot ulcers to heal.
10) Infertility
Some studies have shown that the connection between a higher vitamin D blood serum level and higher chances of pregnancy through IVF. Getting an adequate amount of vitamin D might help you to have a healthy pregnancy, as a lower level of vitamin D has been associated with bacterial vaginosis and preterm birth.
