Vitamin D Deficiency: 7 Symptoms and Signs of Low Vitamin D

When was the last time you saw the mild sunrays in morning? Or waited for few minutes while your skin soaked in the sunlight at dawn.

Are you feeling depressed? Are you always hungry? Are you facing anxiety issues? Have you put on extra belly fat?

If yes to all the above, then your body might be deficient in Vitamin-D.

Vitamin-D deficiency is quite common, and yet most people are not aware when they suffer from it.

That's because the symptoms are often subtle and non-specific, meaning that it's hard to know if they're caused by low Vitamin-D levels or something else.

Mild sunlight in morning is the best source of Vitamin-D. Other sources of Vitamin-D are cheese, egg yolks, soymilk, fatty fish, salmon, tuna, mackerel, mushrooms. If your daily exposure to sunlight is limited because you wake up at later hour, if you stay indoors for long duration, live in northern latitudes or have an occupation that prevents sun exposure you may be at risk of Vitamin-D deficiency.

If you think you may have a deficiency, it's important that you speak to your doctor and get your blood levels measured.

Fortunately, a vitamin D deficiency is usually easy to fix.

You can either increase your sun exposure during morning, eat more Vitamin-D-rich foods, such as fish or fortified dairy products. You can also find a variety of Vitamin-D supplements. Vitamin-D supplements should be taken by advice of a doctor.

Common signs and symptoms of Vitamin-D deficiency -

Common signs and symptoms of Vitamin-D deficiency -

• Depression and anxiety

Body produces serotonin from the body chemical melatonin, melatonin is produced in response to sunlight, the more exposure to sunlight results in more melatonin thus more serotonin.

Too little of serotonin leads one to feel cranky, irritable, depressed, anxious.

•  Muscle pain, bone pain, low bone density

Due to vitamin-D deficiency, there will be inadequate absorption of calcium in the body, vitamin-D helps in absorption of calcium. In case of inadequate Vitamin-D in body low bone mineral density can occur which results in chronic muscular pain, pain in joints, osteoporosis.

• Hair loss

Stress, anxiety, depression, low immunity gradually causes hair loss. As all the above are signs of vitamin-D deficiency. Calcium, vitamins and minerals are major building components of hair and skin and nutritional deficiencies do affect their vitality.

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• Unexplained infertility

It is observed that the vitamin-D deficient women have less chances of getting conceived.

• Poor wound healing

It's also been suggested that vitamin-D's role in controlling inflammation and fighting infection which is important for proper healing.

• Poor immune function, increased risk of illness or infections

One of vitamin-D's most important roles is keeping your immune system strong so you're able to fight off viruses and bacteria that cause illness. It directly interacts with the cells that are responsible for fighting infection.

• Constant feeling of fatigue and tired are the signs of low vitamin-D

If you find these symptoms then you lack vitamin-D, though it’s not life threatening initially but it does affect quality of life.

Wishing you a very happy and healthy life. Take care.

Contributed by - Dr. Anushree MV, an Ayurvedic physician specializing in weight loss, PCOS, thyroid disorders, diabetes, infertility and childcare.