8 signs and symptoms of vitamin D deficiency you should know

Despite vitamin D being available naturally about 1 billion people worldwide have low levels of the vitamin in their blood.

Debjani Arora | Updated: September 25, 2018 6:20 pm

A new study found that vitamin D may not be good for bone health © Shutterstock

There is a reason why you need sunlight: to get enough vitamin D, which is an extremely important vitamin and has powerful effects on several systems throughout your body. Every single cell of the body has vitamin D receptors and all you need to do it sit under the sunlight for your body to get enough vitamin D. In fact, your body makes it from cholesterol when your skin is exposed to sunlight. It is found in certain foods too like fatty fish and fortified dairy products, though it’s very difficult to get enough of it from diet alone. The recommended daily intake (RDI) is usually around 400–800 IU, but many experts say you should get even more than that.

Despite vitamin D being available naturally about 1 billion people worldwide have low levels of the vitamin in their blood.

The most common signs and symptoms of vitamin D deficiency are as follows:

Low immunity: Vitamin D is necessary to keep our immune system working so you can fend those viruses when they attack. But a lack of this vitamin makes one sick often with repeated bouts of colds or the flu. Apart from this lack of vitamin D is also thought to be a contributing factor to respiratory tract infections like bronchitis and pneumonia.
Overwhelming fatigue: Many studies have shown that very low levels of vitamin D can cause extreme fatigue and tiredness and impact life negatively.
Chronic pain: Vitamin D helps maintain bone health in a number of ways as it improves absorption of calcium. Bone pain and lower back pain may be signs of inadequate vitamin D levels in the blood.
Depression: This might come as surprise but without sunlight, your mood might take a dip. And a depressed mood may also be a sign of vitamin D deficiency. In many studies, researchers have linked vitamin D deficiency to depression, particularly in the older population.
Delayed wound healing: The slow healing of wounds after surgery or injury may be a sign of vitamin D deficiency.
Bone loss: After bone or joint pain, bone loss is another sign of vitamin D deficiency. As this vitamin plays a crucial role in calcium absorption and bone metabolism, lack of it can lead to bone loss or osteoporosis. Sometimes even having adequate calcium through diet or supplementation doesn’t help if you are lacking in vitamin D.
Hair loss: Hair loss is often attributed to stress, which is certainly a common cause. However, when hair loss is severe, it may be the result of a disease or nutrient deficiency. Hair loss in women has been linked to low vitamin D levels in some studies, though there is no concrete evidence on the same.
Muscle pain: The causes of muscle pain are often difficult to pinpoint. But there are certain studies that say low vitamin D levels could be one reason.

Published: September 25, 2018 6:20 pm | Updated:September 25, 2018 6:20 pm

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