When fall and winter come after the sunny summer months, our bodies also change. Lack of sunlight can have a negative influence on the functioning of our body. Many people suffer from vitamin D deficiency during the “dark months”.
Some symptoms may indicate a deficiency. In this article, you will find out what signals your body is sending to you.
Why is vitamin D important?
Vitamin D performs several functions in the body. Above all, it ensures that calcium from food is released from the intestines and stored in the bones. Vitamin D can also support the immune system. For example, a stable level of vitamin D in the blood can reduce the severity of allergies.
What are the causes of vitamin D deficiency?
Vitamin D is one of the substances that the body can only absorb in a limited way from food. Even if one ate abundant eggs, fish or mushrooms, the human body’s vitamin D requirement could only be met by 20%. Sunlight is essential for the production of vitamin D. The body can produce the missing 80% of vitamin D requirements on its own. Vitamin D deficiency can occur if you do not spend enough time outdoors ( under the sun).
Who is concerned ?
In general, all the people who spend too little time outdoors suffer from a vitamin D deficiency. Among them are mainly people in need of care and the chronically ill. The elderly are also often affected by vitamin D deficiency because the skin’s ability to produce vitamin D decreases.
The possible consequences of a lack of vitamin D:
1. Mood swings
Do you ever feel sad and listless? In this case, you should get tested urgently for vitamin D deficiency. The latter helps to keep the level of serotonin in the brain at a constant level. Serotonin is considered “the hormone of happiness” and if its level drops, it will affect your mood. If the vitamin deficiency is permanent, mood swings can even lead to depression.
2. Respiratory diseases
It is not only vitamin C that supports the immune system, vitamin D too. Scientists at the World Health Organization have found that vitamin D can also protect against respiratory infections. If the body lacks this vitamin, it can lead to more colds and infections. If you are often ill, you should not only take vitamin C tablets, but also have the vitamin D content in your blood checked.
3. Porous bone
As we have already mentioned, vitamin D is essential for building bones. If there is too little vitamin D in the body, insufficient calcium may be guided from the intestines to the bones. To keep the blood calcium content constant, stored calcium is released from the bones. As a result, bone density decreases and the bones become porous and soft.
4. Poorly healed wounds
When you are injured, you consume a lot of vitamin D to promote healing. However, if there is not enough vitamin D in the body, it affects the length and quality of the healing process. So, if you notice that the wounds heal more slowly than usual, you may be vitamin D deficient.
5. Insomnia
Besides stress and caffeinated drinks, sleep disturbances can also have an organic cause. For example, a 2018 Iranian study showed that around 50% of people who are deficient in vitamin D also suffer from trouble sleeping. For example, test subjects did not feel rested, even after getting enough sleep.
6. Hair loss
Vitamin D is involved in the formation of keratin. This protein is responsible for the resistance of hair fibers. If you don’t have enough vitamin D, you risk losing your hair.
What can be done about vitamin D deficiency?
If you belong to one of the “risk groups” or if you have the above symptoms, you should always see a doctor. They can check if you have vitamin D deficiency with a blood test. Treatment may include taking daily walks in the open air or adding vitamin D as a dietary supplement. However, you should always consult a doctor before taking such supplements.
This article shows that vitamin D deficiency must be taken seriously because it can have serious consequences on the body. Have you ever had one or more of these symptoms or are you already taking vitamin D in tablet form?
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