Getting enough, but not too much, vitamin D is needed to keep your body in good shape. It keeps your bones strong and might also prevent some cancers. If your body is deficient in it (and other nutrients), you will be exposed to a lot of diseases and disorders. 

We’ll walk you through some of the basics of vitamin D deficiency in this article. Once you understand them thoroughly, it will be easy to figure out if you suffer from such conditions. 

Subsequently, you may even consult a medical professional if you think you suffer from such a condition. He or she might prescribe you a vitamin D supplement if necessary.

Now, let’s answer some of the commonly-asked questions related to vitamin D deficiency.

What happens when vitamin D is low?

Vitamin D keeps our body healthy in many ways. They are – 

• Strong bones: Lack of vitamin D in the body causes rickets, a disorder that develops weak and soft bones in children. Vitamin D helps calcium and phosphorus to build strong bones. In adults, having soft bones is referred to as osteomalacia.
• Absorbing calcium: Vitamin D, backed by calcium, helps to maintain the health of your bones. Weak bones cause osteoporosis (loss of bone density) that might lead to fractures. 

Vitamin D, when taken orally or from sunshine exposure, gets converted to an active form of the vitamin. This active form promotes the optimal absorption of calcium from your diet.

• Biological co-ordination with parathyroid glands: The parathyroid glands balance the calcium in the blood by communicating with the kidneys, gut, and skeleton. If calcium intake is insufficient, or vitamin D is low, the parathyroid glands will use calcium from the skeleton to maintain the normal range of blood calcium in the normal range.

Insufficient levels of vitamin D will impair the above biological functions and lead to serious health consequences.

What are the symptoms of low vitamin D?

Unfortunately, most people don’t realize that they’re deficient in vitamin D as the symptoms are not clearly visible. 

Here are some of the frequently-encountered signs and symptoms of vitamin D deficiency.

Fatigue

This is usually overlooked by many of us. Feeling tired after a lack of sleep is fine. But chronic daytime fatigue needs to be investigated medically. 

Taking supplements may help improve energy levels. If they don’t improve, consult your doctor.

Bone and Back Pain

As mentioned earlier in this blog, a lack of vitamin D prevents the absorption of calcium, which is required for bones.

Studies have shown that people with vitamin D deficiency are nearly twice as likely to experience bone pain in their ribs, legs, or joints compared to those who are normal.

Bone Loss

Low bone mineral density (a.k.a. bone loss) indicates that your bones have lost calcium and other minerals.

Many older people who are diagnosed with this condition believe they need to increase their intake of calcium. However, they might be deficient in vitamin D as well. This places them at an increased risk of fractures.

Hair Loss

Yes, you might even lose your hair apart from the calcium content in your bones.

In female-pattern hair loss or the autoimmune condition alopecia areata, hair loss may be a sign of vitamin D deficiency. 

Alopecia areata is a disease characterized by severe hair loss from the head and other parts of the body. It’s linked to rickets, which is a disease caused by vitamin D deficiency. 

How can I raise my vitamin D levels quickly?

We’re listing down three effective ways that can increase your vitamin D levels quickly.

1. Spend time in sunlight

Vitamin D is known as the “sunshine vitamin” because the sun is one of the best sources of this nutrient.

Your skin has a type of cholesterol that acts as a precursor to vitamin D. When this compound is exposed to UV-B radiation from the sun, it is converted to vitamin D.

Sun-derived vitamin D circulates for twice as long as vitamin D received from food or supplements.

1. Consume supplements

You may buy natural supplements to ensure adequate intake. Buy from reputed brands only. Choose supplements tested for purity and quality by a third party, such as the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP), ConsumerLab.com, Informed-Choice, or the Banned Substances Control Group (BSCG).

1. Try a UV lamp

Lamps emitting UV-B radiation may boost your vitamin D levels, but they can be costly.

A word of caution here. Too much exposure to these UV lamps might burn your skin. Limit your exposure to no more than 15 minutes at a time.

Which fruits and vegetables contain vitamin D?

This is not an extensive list but we are listing some of the most common sources of vitamin D and calcium.

• Oranges
• Cereal and oatmeal
• Mushrooms
• Spinach
• Kale
• Okra
• Collards
• Soybeans
• White beans

Conclusion

Vitamin D deficiency is not a minor issue and should be taken seriously. This article was just a basic guide and you can consult with a certified dietician to explore further on the topic.