Our bodies need proper nutrition to function properly. One key to better health? Vitamin D, or calciferol. Vitamin D isn’t actually a single vitamin, but a group of steroids that help the body do all sorts of amazing things, like boost the immune system or absorb calcium to build strong bones.
Unfortunately, experts estimate that roughly 1 billion people are vitamin D deficient. Could you be one of them?…
Frequent Infections
If you notice that you frequently feel unwell or are constantly fighting infections, a vitamin D deficiency could be to blame. That’s because vitamin D plays a large role in regulating the immune system. It should therefore be no surprise that research links plenty of chronic illnesses with low vitamin D.
Of course, a weakened immune system can lead to the following…
Slow Healing
Noticing frequent slow-healing wounds is one more potential sign of low vitamin D. Some researchers hypothesize that this fact may be due to vitamin D’s potential role in promoting tissue growth and modulating other processes affecting wound healing.
Frequently yawning? Once again, a lack of vitamin D may be to blame…
Tiredness
Fatigue, or excessive tiredness that doesn’t seem to go away, is linked to low levels of vitamin D. In fact, one study found that normalizing vitamin D levels in nearly 200 patients helped improve their levels of tiredness.
Fatigue is hard for others to spot, unlike the following…
Hair Loss
Some research links low levels of vitamin D to certain forms of hair loss. However, experts aren’t 100% positive if vitamin D deficiency causes hair loss or is a side effect of the cause of hair loss itself. Either way, a link between the two is established, meaning hair loss could still indicate a vitamin D deficiency, whether or not vitamin D actually causes the hair loss itself.
Vitamin D deficiency doesn’t just affect someone’s appearance, but also their mood…
Depression
Much research shows that many people with depression also suffer from insufficient or deficient levels of vitamin D. As is the case with hair loss, though, experts are still not certain whether a lack of vitamin D contributes to depression or is a potential side effect of the condition itself.
Deep pain may also point to low vitamin D…
Bone Pain
In severe cases, vitamin D deficiency can lead to a condition known as osteomalacia. This condition is notable for extreme bone softening, which can occur if the body does not have enough vitamin D to properly absorb bone-strengthening calcium.
Bone pain is only one symptom of vitamin D deficiency-induced osteomalacia…
Bone Loss
Severe weakening of the bones can lead to loss of bone mass, making them brittle and weak. As a result, fractures may be more common with marked vitamin D deficiency in adults.
Vitamin D deficiency doesn’t just cause pain in the bones, though…
Muscle Pain
Some people with low vitamin D report muscle pain. Experts are not 100% certain why vitamin D deficiency results in muscle pain, although some research indicates that vitamin D may play a role in muscular sensitivity.
Really, low vitamin D can be a real pain in the…
Lower Back Pain
Experts claim that there may be a link between vitamin D deficiency and lower back pain. Whether this pain is a result of the vitamin D deficiency or something else is not yet determined. Although, the presence of lower back pain can still signal potentially low vitamin D levels, whether or not vitamin D is the cause of the pain itself.
