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.
Therefore, conditions that affect the gut and digestion, like celiac disease, chronic pancreatitis, Crohn's disease, and cystic fibrosis, can reduce vitamin D absorption.
Vitamin D (from food, sunshine and supplements) changes to calcidiol in the liver, which is measured from blood to check the level of vitamin D. The half-life of calcidiol of D3 (we get from supplements and e.g. fish) is 15–30 days. Half-life is the period during which vitamin D stores decrease by half.
Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency may include:
Bone pain or achiness. Depression or feelings of sadness. Hair loss. Muscle weakness.
Today, 25(OH)D less than 12 ng/mL is considered evidence of severe vitamin D deficiency.
Symptoms when vitamin D is low
Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency may include: Fatigue. Not sleeping well. Bone pain or achiness.
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.
Both the vitamin levels and the symptoms usually respond well to treatment. However, it can take time (months) for bones to recover and for symptoms such as pain to improve. The complications of severe deficiency have been mentioned. Rickets can occur in children, and osteomalacia in adults.
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.
"Adequate levels of magnesium in the body are essential for the absorption and metabolism not only of vitamin D but of calcium as well," Dean states. "Magnesium converts vitamin D into its active form so that it can help calcium absorption.
Patients with a prolonged and severe vitamin D deficiency can experience symptoms associated with secondary hyperparathyroidism including bone pain, arthralgias, myalgias, fatigue, muscle twitching (fasciculations), and weakness. Fragility fractures may result from chronic vitamin D deficiency leading to osteoporosis.
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.
Vitamin D insufficiency may relate to higher levels of anxiety and depression, in turn contributing to the elevated risk of psychosis in this population.
Yes, multiple studies show that a deficiency of this vitamin can lead to joint pain and swelling. As Vitamin D is required for bone building and bone health, therefore a deficiency of it will negatively affect the bones.
If you're not getting enough vitamin D, a vitamin D deficiency could be the cause of gas and gas-related bloating. In fact, one study showed that people who increased their levels of vitamin D had fewer gastrointestinal issues overall.
'One tell-tale skin sign of a vitamin D deficiency is dry, itchy skin on the face, which may occur all over or on areas such as cheeks, chin and forehead. In some severe cases, those with a deficiency may also develop eczema, this is thought to be caused by an immune system dysfunction.
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 stimulates hair follicles to grow, and so when the body does not have enough, the hair may be affected. A vitamin D deficiency may also be linked to alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition that causes patchy hair loss.
The best food sources of vitamin D are oily fish, including salmon, mackerel, and sardines. Other sources include egg yolks, red meat, and liver. Vitamin D is added to some foods too, including breakfast cereals, plant milks and fat spreads.
Use the CVS Health At Home Vitamin D Test Kit to get accurate and comprehensive results in the privacy and comfort of your own home. Simply collect your blood sample using this convenient kit, mail it to the lab, and receive your results through a secure online portal in just a few days.
Ongoing vitamin D deficiency can result in osteoporosis, bone and joint pain. Older people who don't have enough vitamin D are more likely to fall and fracture their bones. Vitamin D deficiency can also affect an unborn child.