Vitamin D Deficient? Symptoms to Watch Out

Rebecca Lewis June 06, 2014

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Vitamin D, also called the ‘sunshine vitamin’, plays a big role in promoting good health. According to a study conducted by the University of Zurich, sufficient amounts of vitamin D taken regularly are necessary to maintain bone health.

Whilst the major source of vitamin D is sunlight, this essential nutrient can also be obtained from food sources, such as fatty fish like salmon and tuna, flaxseeds, and fortified food products. It can also be taken through supplementation.

Top Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency

The best way to know whether you are vitamin D deficient is to undergo a blood test. However, you can also figure out if you have this problem by spotting the signs and symptoms. They include the following:

You’ve got weak muscles.

Muscle fatigue is common when the body lacks enough levels of vitamin D. That’s because skeletal muscles need this nutrient to sustain the vitamin D receptors.

You have flu

In a study published in the Cambridge Journal, vitamin D deficiency was found to predispose children to respiratory diseases. Another study showed that vitamin D reduces the incidence of respiratory infections in children.

You suffer from asthma

In the study by Japan researchers, it was revealed that asthma attacks in school children were significantly lowered in those subjects taking a daily vitamin D supplement of 1200 IU a day.

You’ve got gum problems.

If gum problems are always your issue, it is highly possible that you are vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D is needed to produce defensins and cathelicidin – compounds that contain microbial properties and lower the number of bacteria in the mouth.

You’ve got blues.

In one study, maintaining sufficient vitamin D among pregnant women and during childhood was necessary to satisfy the vitamin D receptor in the brain integral for brain development and mental function maintenance in later life.

You’re overweight.

The higher concentration of body fat affects the levels of vitamin D in the blood. And that’s because vitamin D is fat soluble. Whilst there’s no change in the vitamin D production in people carrying excess weight, people who are overweight or obese may require more daily vitamin D to make up for this effect.

You have gut trouble.

Vitamin D deficiency is common among people with Crohn’s, celiac or inflammatory bowel disease. In a study reported in the Journal of Pathology in 2010, scientists have found that vitamin D receptor acts a ‘key player’ amid the gut bacteria.