Vitamin D deficiency symptoms can be severe because it is needed for overall health and plays an important role in the proper functioning of your muscles, heart, lungs and brain function. Our body can make its own vitamin D from sunlight. You can also get vitamin D from supplements. A very small amount comes from a few foods you eat, such as some fish, fish liver oils, egg yolks and in fortified dairy, cereals and grain products.
What makes vitamin D unique compared to other vitamins is that your body can make its own vitamin D when you expose your skin to sunlight, whereas you need to get other vitamins from the foods you eat. Some common causes for lack of vitamin D are limited exposure to sunlight, kidney and liver disease (these organs play an important role in converting vitamin D to its active form), strict vegetarian diet, digestive problems (reduce the ability of the intestines to absorb vitamin D from food), obesity (it causes low vitamin D levels).
10 Vitamins Women Should Consume Daily
Vitamin d deficiency symptoms can appear in the form of any disease involving heart, bones and many organs. A simple blood test can determine whether or not you have vitamin D deficiency. Your doctor can advise if you need to take a vitamin D supplement. There is no consensus on vitamin D levels required for optimal health, and it differs depending on age and health conditions. However effects of low vitamin d in men are seen more than women.
Food sources that contain vitamin D are mostly animal-based, such as fish and fish oils, egg yolks, cheese, fortified milk and beef liver.
What does a low vitamin d level mean? Today, Boldsky will share with you some vitamin d deficiency symptoms.
There can be many health problems with low vitamin d. One of them is osteoporosis. An adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D are important for maintaining bone density and strength. A lack of vitamin D causes calcium depletion from bones, which further weakens the bones and increases the risk of fractures.
Asthma is one of the vitamin d deficiency symptoms. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to lower lung functions and worsens asthma especially in children. Vitamin D may improves asthma by blocking inflammation-causing proteins in the lung It also helps in increasing production of another protein which has anti-inflammatory effects.
Effects of low vitamin d in men are seen more as compared to women A research has shown that Vitamin D deficiency can result in higher risk of high blood pressure (hypertension) as well as increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease more in men than women.
One of the health problems with low vitamin d is inflammation. It has been found that vitamin D deficiency is associated with inflammation, a negative response of the immune system. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a number of inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and diabetes.
This is also one of the vitamin d deficiency symptoms. Vitamin D regulates cholesterol levels in the blood. A study shows that without adequate sun exposure, The substance that are otherwise converted into vitamin D, get converted to cholesterol instead of vitamin D.
One of the low vitamin d problems is allergy. Studies show that children who had lower levels of vitamin D are more likely to have multiple food allergies.
Vitamin d deficiency in adults can also cause influenza. Some studies showed a link between lack of vitamin D and common respiratory infections. This indicates that people with the lowest vitamin D levels have more incidents of cold and flu than those with higher levels.
A research has shown that people getting a proper supply of Vitamin D are less likely to suffer from depression. Vitamin D supplements might play an important role in treating depression.
Another research has proven that vitamin D helps in the secretion of insulin from pancreas and increases it's response for blood glucose. In this way it is good for diabetes patients.
Several recent reports show a significant association between periodontal health and the intake of vitamin D. Also elderly patients with low vitamin D levels have a higher rate of tooth loss than those with high vitamin D levels.
Low vitamin D plays a role in developing rheumatoid arthritis. Studies have found that women who get more vitamin D seem less likely to get rheumatoid arthritis. Also among people who already have rheumatoid arthritis and have vitamin D deficiency, tend to have more severe symptoms of arthritis.
Vitamin D deficiency may be linked to cancer. A study indicated that more than 75% of people with a variety of cancers have low levels of vitamin D.