Despite a few walks and runs in the sun and on the beach several times this summer it seems this was still not enough.
Many people are vitamin D deficient and they don’t even know it. It's one of the most common deficiencies. Get your levels checked to be sure its Vitamin D you’re lacking.
There are several signs and symptoms of vitamin D deficiency which you should look out for. Just because you have some of these symptoms, it does not necessarily mean you are deficient. However, it is always best to consult your doctor to be on the safe side!
Serotonin, the hormone which controls your mood, rises when exposes to bright light, and falls with decreased exposure. Scientists have concluded the feeling ‘down’ may be a symptom that you are vitamin D deficient, since you may not get enough natural sunlight [5].
According to Dr. Holick, many patients with aching bones are misdiagnosed by their doctors, and told they suffer from fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome.
“Many of these symptoms are classic signs of vitamin D deficiency osteomalacia, which is different from the vitamin D deficiency that causes osteoporosis in adults,” he says. “What’s happening is that the vitamin D deficiency causes a defect in putting calcium into the collagen matrix into your skeleton. As a result, you have throbbing, aching bone pain.”
Since vitamin D is fat soluble, body fat can ‘collect it’. The more body fat you have, the more vitamin D is absorbed, meaning less can be properly utilised. The same can be said for people with large amounts of muscle mass, or those with a larger frame. The larger you are, the more vitamin D you require.
According to Dr. Holick, head sweating may be one of the first symptoms of vitamin D deficiency [6]. It can be common in new-born babies.
Those with a darker skin tone are at a greater risk of vitamin D deficiency, since they need more sun exposure in order to produce the same amount of vitamin D as someone with lighter skin.
Sunlight is the biggest sources of vitamin D. However, the best source of vitamin D naturally is from oily fish, such as herring, sardines, tuna and salmon. Other sources include fortified foods such as cereals, milk and other dairy produce.
These foods do contain moderate amounts of vitamin D, however if you are deficient, then the most convenient, cheapest way is to invest in a supplement.
There are a few different kinds of supplements available. One is vitamin tablets, such as Vitamin D3.
These are a great direct source of vitamin D, and are easy to consume, so you can instantly hit your daily goals!
Another great option is cod liver oil, which is a great source of vitamin D, as well as vitamin A and essential fatty acids. These too are easy to take, and are very popular.
Finally, you can opt to take a multivitamin. These do not contain as much vitamin D as the others, so are best for those who do not need to increase their daily vitamin D intake by as much, and those who would like to reap the benefits of other and minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, zinc, selenium, as well as vitamin A, E, B, K, and C.
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