Fatigue. Bone pain. Muscle weakness, muscle aches or muscle cramps. Mood changes, like depression.
Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency may include:
Fatigue. Not sleeping well. Bone pain or achiness. Depression or feelings of sadness.
Today, 25(OH)D less than 12 ng/mL is considered evidence of severe vitamin D deficiency.
Official answer. Generally, it takes a few weeks of taking daily vitamin D supplements for vitamin D levels in the body to rise. Each 1,000 IU of vitamin D3 taken daily is expected to raise blood levels of 25(OH)D by 10 ng/ml after a few weeks.
Vitamin D deficiency is highly treatable. If you are diagnosed with the condition and follow treatment recommendations, you will likely be able to increase your intake to an acceptable level, which should eliminate any symptoms or long-term problems.
Having inadequate levels of vitamin D may correlate with unintentional weight gain. A study on women over the age of 65 found that participants with a lower vitamin D level experienced more weight gain. A systematic review of 23 different studies found similar associations between vitamin D deficiency and obesity.
Low levels of vitamin D have been associated with depression, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, and cognitive decline, as well as psychosis, autism, heart disease, and about 200 other conditions.
In general, the two main causes of vitamin D deficiency are: Not getting enough vitamin D in your diet and/or through sunlight. Your body isn't properly absorbing or using vitamin D.
Deficiency of vitamin D might be associated with diseases of immune dysregulation, one manifestation of which could be excessive daytime sleepiness (Zitterman and Gummert 2010; Hoeck and Pall 2011).
Growing evidence has demonstrated that vitamin D has a role in sleep regulation [12]. Specifically, vitamin D deficiency (VDD) can increase risk of sleep disorders and is associated with sleep difficulties, shorter sleep duration, and nocturnal awakenings in children and adults [13,14,15].
Vitamin D insufficiency may relate to higher levels of anxiety and depression, in turn contributing to the elevated risk of psychosis in this population.
Vitamin D deficiency can cause irritability, tiredness, depression, language delays, and issues with memory function and learning (5). Some neurodevelopmental disorders like autism, schizophrenia, and the risk for ADHD have also been linked to a mother's low vitamin D stores during pregnancy (5-7).
Besides boosting mood and promoting calcium absorption, recent studies have shown that vitamin D may also aid in weight loss. For people with extra belly fat, a vitamin D supplement may be beneficial.
Vitamin D deficiency is most commonly caused by a lack of exposure to sunlight. Some disorders can also cause the deficiency. The most common cause is lack of exposure to sunlight, usually when the diet is deficient in vitamin D, but certain disorders can also cause the deficiency.
Researchers have found vitamin D also plays a role in regulating body weight. It controls the levels of a hormone called leptin which signals our brain when we are full and can stop eating. Without sufficient levels of vitamin D, the likelihood of overeating and therefore gaining weight is much greater.
In people whose 25(OH)D is 12 to <20 ng/mL (30 to <50 nmol/L), treatment usually includes 800 to 1000 international units (20 to 25 micrograms) of vitamin D3 by mouth daily. However, some people may need higher doses.
Therefore, conditions that affect the gut and digestion, like celiac disease, chronic pancreatitis, Crohn's disease, and cystic fibrosis, can reduce vitamin D absorption.
Yes, low levels of vitamin D can cause certain neurological symptoms such as tremors and depression.
There's no set time of day that's best to take vitamin D supplements. Some people say taking vitamin D supplements at night is an insomnia risk. There's no research to confirm this, but you might want to take your supplement earlier in the day if you think it's screwing with your sleep.
However, taking too much vitamin D in the form of supplements can be harmful. Children age 9 years and older, adults, and pregnant and breastfeeding women who take more than 4,000 IU a day of vitamin D might experience: Nausea and vomiting. Poor appetite and weight loss.
Vitamin D and sleep: The surprising connection
Early research suggests it is inversely related to melatonin, your sleep hormone. Increasing vitamin D levels may suppress melatonin levels. So, it makes sense that taking it at night could disrupt your sleep.