Symptoms And Health Risks Of Vitamin D Deficiency
Symptoms of bone pain and muscle weakness can mean you have a vitamin D deficiency. Yet, even without symptoms, too little vitamin D can pose health risks.
What Exactly Is Vitamin D?
Typically, during the sunnier months, we get most of our vitamin D from spending time outdoors.
‘But recently lockdowns, home working and shielding may all have led to us spending less time in the great outdoors than we’d like.
Vitamin D Deficiency And Health Conditions
Specifically, studies looking at if taking vitamin D supplementation reduces the risk of certain diseases or ailments are lacking. Below are examples of associations between low vitamin D and specific diseases:
Depression
Low vitamin D levels have been associated with depression, according to past research involving more than 31,000 study participants.
For those with mild to moderate depression, supplementing with vitamin D may help, the study researchers wrote, though more studies are needed before vitamin D supplement prescriptions for depression are standard. Dementia
A meta-analysis published in November 2019 in BMC Neurology found a link between vitamin D deficiency and people with dementia, including the most common type of the condition, Alzheimer’s disease. The more severe the deficiency, the stronger the association.
Prostate Cancer
Another previous study found a link between low blood levels of vitamin D and aggressive prostate cancer in European American and African American men undergoing their first prostate biopsy after being referred for an abnormal prostate-specific antigen or digital rectal examination. Related: 10 Illnesses Linked to Vitamin D Deficiency
Erectile Dysfunction
A systematic review and meta-analysis published in May 2020 in Nutrients found that men with severe erectile dysfunction (ED) had lower vitamin D levels than men with mild ED. Schizophrenia
People with schizophrenia are more likely to be deficient in vitamin D, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in June 2020 in Psychiatry Research.
What Are Some Common Symptoms Of Vitamin D Deficiency?
If you fit this description, consider voicing your concerns to your primary care provider or a registered dietitian. “Then you can evaluate with your healthcare provider whether a supplement or seeking out more vitamin-D-rich foods is necessary.” Know also that some groups, including individuals with dark skin, those with certain underlying health conditions or who are taking certain medications, and those who live in a city far from the equator, may be more prone to having low vitamin D, according to the Cleveland Clinic.