In addition to being a vitamin, vitamin D, which also has hormonal functions, is important for our body health. In addition to foods, this vitamin, which can be taken with sunlight, plays a key role in bone health and regulates other body functions. On the other hand, although it is a very important vitamin, we can say that vitamin D deficiency has become a common problem for many individuals. In particular, malnutrition, which is a negative aspect of a busy work life, can be said to be one of the biggest causes of vitamin D deficiency. Not getting enough sunlight, which is the biggest source of vitamin D, can cause vitamin D deficiency. So, what are the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency?
- Weak Immune System: We can say that one of the biggest roles of vitamin D is to keep the immune system strong. If vitamin D is not taken in sufficient amounts, the person's chance of getting sick increases. If you frequently experience flu and other illnesses, this may be due to vitamin D deficiency.
- Excessive Fatigue: Vitamin D deficiency can also cause you to feel weak and tired. This situation, which is especially common during pregnancy, can repeat itself unless precautions are taken.
- Delayed Healing of Wounds: Delayed healing of wounds after any injury or surgery may be a sign of vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is known for minimizing inflammation and its role in wound healing. For this reason, the reason for the late healing of your wounds may be vitamin D deficiency.
- Bone Pain: Vitamin D is very important for bone development and health. Vitamin D provides the calcium that bones need by increasing calcium absorption. In case of vitamin D deficiency, people may experience bone pain.
- Hair Loss: Although hair loss is usually associated with stress, vitamin D deficiency may be another cause of this problem. Vitamin D plays a very important role for hair as well as bones. Thanks to the sun's rays, it adds vitality to the hair and helps to maintain hair health.
- Muscle Pain: Although it is difficult to determine the real cause of muscle pain, the cause of your muscle pain may be vitamin D deficiency. Muscle pain, especially in children, may be a sign of low vitamin D (1).
What is Vitamin D Deficiency?
Vitamin D is a vitamin that is effective in maintaining body health. Unlike other vitamins, vitamin D can also act as a hormone. Calcium from foods is absorbed thanks to vitamin D. In this way, vitamin D is important for strong bone structure and protects bone health. Although our body stores sunlight as vitamin D, vitamin D deficiency is a condition that affects approximately 1 billion people today. Although vitamin D is found in most animal foods, food intake alone may not prevent vitamin D deficiency. Depending on where you live and changes in your lifestyle, deficiencies in vitamin D intake may occur. In case of vitamin D deficiency, symptoms such as fatigue, bone pain, depression, and hair loss may occur in the person (1, 2, 3, 4). Applying a diet under the supervision of a doctor thanks to early diagnosis is the most common treatment method. In this article, we will try to answer the questions, ‘‘What is vitamin D deficiency and why does it occur, what are the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency, what are the diseases of vitamin D deficiency?’’
What Causes Vitamin D Deficiency?
Vitamin D deficiency can be seen for many reasons. Not getting enough sunlight can cause vitamin D deficiency. As long as sunlight is sufficient, vitamin D deficiency can be eliminated. You can also protect your skin health with sufficient sunlight.
Not consuming enough foods containing vitamin D can also cause vitamin D deficiency. In addition to sunlight, our body also needs a lot of vitamin D from food. For this reason, we can say that including vitamin D in meals is very important.
Sometimes consuming sunlight and foods containing vitamin D may not prevent deficiency. Food supplements also come into play in this case. Not consuming supplementary foods can also be the cause of vitamin D deficiency. This problem can be eliminated with food supplements taken under the supervision of a doctor.
Another reason for vitamin D deficiency may be where you live. Vitamin D deficiency is more common in people living in countries where sunlight is less visible, such as Canada and Russia. The reason for this may be the unfavorable conditions of the place where the person lives.
With the thinning of the skin in older ages, the vitamin D produced by the individual may not be enough for the person. For this reason, vitamin D deficiency is also frequently seen in older people. If early precautions are not taken, the person's health may worsen (5)
What are the Diseases of Vitamin D Deficiency?
Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency can turn into a disease after a short time. On the other hand, the most common disease is Osteoporosis, or bone loss. Bone loss occurs when a person does not consume enough foods containing vitamin D and does not receive enough sunlight.
Osteoporosis, which shows itself more in older ages, can cause the person to fall frequently and even break bones. In the event of a broken bone, the recovery process of an older individual can take longer than other individuals. For this reason, Osteoporosis can completely restrict a person's daily life.
Another bone disease, Rickets, occurs when the minerals that provide growth cannot be sufficiently nourished due to vitamin D deficiency. This disorder is especially common in children in the growth age. In older ages, this situation also occurs due to insufficient minerals and this disorder is called Osteomalacia and is known as the adult form of Rickets.
We can say that heart diseases are the most fatal among the diseases seen in vitamin D deficiency. Although heart diseases are generally associated with obesity, smoking and alcohol addiction, vitamin D deficiency may be the main cause of this problem. People may experience many diseases in the event of vitamin D deficiency. These diseases may also turn into heart disease.
Vitamin D plays a key role in the immune system. In the event of vitamin D deficiency, the person may start to get sick quickly. The individual's low immunity may also cause fatty liver. Although it is not very common, fatty liver is a disease seen in vitamin D deficiency.
The most common disease among the diseases seen in vitamin D deficiency is osteoporosis. If it is not diagnosed early, the person may become untreatable. In addition to the diseases we mentioned, other common vitamin D deficiency diseases are as follows:
- Diabetes
- High Blood Pressure
- Obesity
- Depression (6).
Does Vitamin D Deficiency Cause Dizziness?
High blood pressure caused by vitamin D deficiency can cause dizziness. In addition, dizziness is quite common in women during menopause due to decreased bone density.
Vitamin D deficiency can also cause dizziness in older ages. Loss of muscle and bone strength may be the biggest reason for this. When this condition is combined with high blood pressure and diabetes, the dizziness that people feel may increase (6).
Does Vitamin D Deficiency Cause Weight Loss?
We can say that it is quite wrong to see vitamin D as just a vitamin. Vitamin D is a very important structure in many areas of our body. It is especially important for muscle and bone structure. For this reason, problems such as muscle pain and osteoporosis seen in individuals with vitamin D deficiency can disrupt the structure of the body. Thus, there is a change in the person's energy needs and fat can be seen in the body that cannot easily adapt to this. In fact, vitamin D deficiency can cause the individual to gain weight rather than lose weight, or even experience obesity.
In addition, vitamin D is a vitamin that prevents fat in the abdomen and surrounding area by increasing the effectiveness of calcium. Therefore, vitamin D deficiency may be the biggest trigger for weight gain (6, 7).
How to Understand Vitamin D Deficiency / Vitamin D Test
Vitamin D is a very important vitamin for both adults and children. In case of deficiency, many diseases can occur in the individual. In fact, some symptoms can progress and turn into diseases. For this reason, having a vitamin D test for vitamin D control is a situation that is strongly recommended by doctors.
If you experience any of the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency that we mentioned, you may need to see a doctor. Thanks to the vitamin D test, you can determine how much vitamin D you need and apply a vitamin D diet under the supervision of a doctor. In this way, the symptoms caused by vitamin D deficiency do not progress further and do not constitute a situation that will limit your life.
What is Good for Vitamin D Deficiency?
People with vitamin D deficiency are generally advised to take vitamin D supplements or follow a vitamin D diet. So, "What should be consumed to prevent vitamin D deficiency and what is good for vitamin D deficiency?" The most commonly used foods for vitamin D deficiency are as follows:
- Fish
- Sardines
- Egg Yolk
- Milk
- Mushrooms
- Yogurt
- Corn Flakes
- Orange Juice
In addition to these nutrients, the use of supplements can also minimize vitamin D deficiency. Using supplements with a doctor's advice will be best for you. Otherwise, taking high doses of vitamin D supplements can also negatively affect your health (7, 8, 9).
Bikalite in Your Search for the Best Vitamin D Product
The safety of the product used in vitamin and other supplement purchases is a very important issue. At Bikalite, the documents belonging to the products and manufacturers are meticulously examined, and only products that meet the quality criteria and are original are offered to you. When used correctly, the multivitamin and mineral supplements at Bikalite meet the daily needs of you and your loved ones and help you be healthier. You can shop from Bikalite with peace of mind.
Source: