You might be experiencing these and thinking that there's nothing to worry about. But dismissing them could severely increase your risk of suffering from dangerous bone and muscle conditions, among other health problems.
When you stand outdoors and take in some good ol' sunshine, you don't realize that your body is producing vitamin D. It's an essential vitamin that helps your body effectively absorb calcium, maintain the health of your muscles and your heart, promote cell growth, maintain your blood pressure, and protect your body from diseases, according to Medical News Today.
A quarter of the population is not getting adequate amounts of vitamin D, as pointed out in a report by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). It is advised that you get 600 IU (International Units) or 15 mcg (micrograms) between the ages of 19 to 70. Once you cross the age of 70, you should ideally get 800 IU or 20 mcg, as recommended by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). While sunlight is a great source of vitamin D, it can also have harmful effects if you're exposed to it more than the healthy amount. Food sources like salmon, tuna, mackerel, cheese, orange, and some brands of yogurt can also help you reach your required count of vitamin D.
If you notice these symptoms, it could mean that you have a vitamin D deficiency.
If you have been falling sick far too often than usual or your body is unable to fight off illnesses or infections, it could be a sign of a vitamin D deficiency. A study on the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) indicated that vitamin D could be effective in preventing respiratory tract infections. Having the required level of vitamin D in your body can help you fight against colds or other infections better.
When you're running low on vitamin D over a certain period of time, you might notice that you have started feeling extremely tired and exhausted. Even when you're doing regular things and going about your normal routine, you might not feel like you have the same energy or will, despite getting enough sleep. There was even a case where a woman experienced excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). But with higher vitamin D intake, there were significant improvements with EDS, along with improvement in her lower back pain.
A deficiency in vitamin D can weaken your bones and muscles, making you experience muscle pain and joint pain. Severe deficiency can even give rise to conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, which is severely painful. "Studies have found that women with the highest levels of vitamin D are 30 percent less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than women with lowest level of vitamin D,” said nutritionist Karen Langston, a spokesperson for the National Association of Nutrition Professionals, according to Arthritis Foundation.
The level of vitamin D in your body controls your bone density. It keeps a check on the calcium and phosphorus in your body, which affects how hard and strong your bones and teeth are. Without enough vitamin D, your bones start thinning and becoming weak, and you might experience fractures more often.
“The biggest concern is osteomalacia or the softening of the bones,” said Langston. “In children, it’s called rickets. It also can cause brittle bones, weak muscles. Other symptoms are fractures of the hip and pelvis, bone pain and tenderness, tooth decay and hearing loss because the bones in the ear become soft.”
Required levels of vitamin D could help your skin heal faster from wounds. If your body is deficient in vitamin D, it will not be able to repair itself from wounds or aid the process of generating new skin as desired. The findings of a study concluded by saying that more vitamin D can amp up your body's ability of regeneration and effective wound healing.
A number of reasons could contribute to hair loss and one of them could be the level of vitamin D in your body. One particular study conducted on women between the ages of 18 to 45 found that the level of vitamin D was low in cases of hair loss.
It is very likely that low vitamin D affects your mental health. You might notice that you're experiencing mood swings and are disinterested in doing everyday things. Over time, severe vitamin D can even lead to anxiety or depression. This is probably why you feel like you're in such a good mood when you soak up some sun on a beach or in a park; doing it regularly can keep your mental health in check.
References:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318060.php
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db59.pdf
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3686844/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21206551
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321923.php
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23428658
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27222384
