Signs of Vitamin-D Deficiency

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that has a very powerful impact throughout the body.  It is a fat-soluble enzyme and plays a major role in the absorption of Calcium and Phosphorous. Around 600 IU of vitamin D is needed in the general adult body. The requirement of Vitamin D depends upon the weight of the individual. Despite its high importance in our body, most of us don’t seem to get its adequate amount. So let’s know about signs of Vitamin-D Deficiency.

• Are your muscles aching, it is been found that vitamin D plays an essential role in muscle function. When metabolized, it enters our muscles and ensures proper muscle contraction. Vitamin D is also vital for building muscle strength. So when you feel muscle pain which is not due to exertion it might be due to insufficient levels of vitamin D.

• Painful Bones: Bones stop growing once it reaches adulthood, but old bones regularly replaced by new tissues. Vitamin D is vital for ensuring bone tissue replacement and its serious deficiency can cause the bone to soften. This condition is known as osteomalacia or Adult Rickets that can lead to Osteoporosis. It is important to differentiate between muscle pain and bone pain as it often resembles each other. But Muscle pain usually occurs at one specific location and is aggravated by physical activity. Aching bones are often felt as penetrating and broadly spread the pain.

• Fatigue:  This symptom is often overlooked because we tend to attribute fatigue to a number of reasons. Vitamin D is believed to produce energy, and lack of it makes us feel lethargic and sluggish throughout the day. This lack of energy can also cause negative behaviors of overeating.

• Weight gain: Vitamin D is extracted from the blood by fat cells, altering its release into the circulation. Vitamin D being a hormone also affects other hormones and neurotransmitters especially testosterone which is related to body fat and serotonin which is related to appetite. So the lower levels of Vitamin D make you gain weight as it is unable to soubise the fat.

• Reduced stamina: If someone is physically active but notices that the endurance is decreasing for no apparent reason, a low level of vitamin D may be the cause.

• Low moods: Vitamin D is not only an important factor in our brain’s health, it also affects our mood. The areas of our brain that are essential with mood have vitamin D receptors. Low vitamin D levels can therefore significantly affect our brain cells. There is evidence that suggests that vitamin D can increase certain neurotransmitters in the brain called monoamines including feel-good hormones serotonin and dopamine. This one of the reasons that many people experience low moods in winter called seasonal affective disorder.

• Wounds heal slowly: If you get injured it takes a long time for wounds to heal, lack of vitamin D may be the cause. Vitamin D  plays a vital role in rebuilding the skin thus if your wound doesn’t get

• Dizziness: Researches has demonstrated that there are vitamin D receptors in the calcium channel transport located in the inner ear. These help in balancing calcium ions in the ears. When calcium crystals located in the inner ear are dislodged, you can experience sudden bouts of dizziness or nausea due to a spinning sensation. This condition is called Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo.

• Losing hair: Hair follicle growth is stimulated by vitamin D. When they are healthy, hair follicles maintain hair volume. This is especially true for women. Research also suggests a connection between Vitamin D levels and Alopecia which is an autoimmune disease that results in bald patches.

• Heart Problems:  One of the most underestimated risk factors for heart disease is vitamin D deficiency. But evidence suggests that an insufficient level of it can drastically increase the likelihood of heart disease. There is also a connection between high blood pressure.

• Recurring infections: Vitamin D  deficiency can drastically weaken the immune system leaving you vulnerable to recurring infection and chronic diseases.

• Cognitive impairment: Vitamin D’s biologically active form has been shown to have neuroprotective effects. This means that the vitamin actually helps in the preservation of nerve function which is very important for our brain to work properly. It is directly linked to Dementia and Alzheimer’s is caused due to low levels of vitamin D.

Unfortunately, most of the foods that we consume on an everyday basis have vitamin D.  So, the best sources of Vitamin D are fish and fish oils, like salmon and cod liver fish oil, and one would need to have these days to maintain adequate levels of Vitamin D. Egg yolks mushrooms and milk also have vitamin D but they need to be eaten in very high quantities to maintain an optimum level of the vitamin.  It is also recommended to take supplements of vitamin D. Most important do not Shun the Sun. Take adequate at least 15-20 minutes of sunlight to maintain this sunshine vitamin in your body.

Also read, Fitness – The Vegetarian Way. Join Us.

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