Symptoms And Health Risks Of Vitamin D Deficiency
Symptoms of bone pain and muscle weakness can mean you have a vitamin D deficiency. However, for many people, the symptoms are subtle.
What Is Vitamin D?
It is present in a small number of foods, including fortified products.
To use it, the body needs to convert it to an active form called 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] or calcidiol.
How Much Is A Deficiency?
However, in a 2019 study , 2,423 people at risk of type 2 diabetes took either a vitamin D supplement of 4,000 international units (IU) a day or a placebo. Vitamin D levels increased in those who took the supplement. However, taking the supplement did not appear to reduce the risk of diabetes developing.
Learn more about the health benefits of vitamin D.
What Are Some Common Symptoms Of Vitamin D Deficiency?
Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include bone pain, muscle weakness, fatigue, and mood changes, according to the Cleveland Clinic. While many factors can influence those symptoms, if you haven’t changed your lifestyle recently, such conditions may be signs of vitamin D deficiency.
If you fit this description, consider voicing your concerns to your primary care provider or a registered dietitian. “Because vitamin D isn’t found in a lot of foods, and sun exposure may be limited depending on where you live, I recommend everyone get their vitamin D levels checked at their annual checkup,” says Anzlovar.
Diseases & Conditions
He “sunshine” vitamin is a hot topic.
Vitamins are considered essential nutrients because either your body cannot make them or they are made in inadequate amounts to prevent negative health consequences or diseases. Vitamin D was discovered to be essential when it was found to be needed for the treatment of rickets. Vitamin D is one of the four fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K).
Structurally, these two are not the same. Many believe that vitamin D should be classified as a hormone, with some calling it the forgotten neurosteroid. And unlike other vitamins, it can be made by your body when exposed to the sun and the active form in your body, called calcitriol, has similarities to other hormones (estrogen, cortisol, and testosterone).
We have also had a shift in spending less time outdoors because of increased work hours and more sedentary lives. As a result, vitamin D levels began dropping without most health care professionals realizing it. Correcting vitamin D deficiency is not as simple as taking a pill or getting more sun.