Vitamin D

What is vitamin D?

A person may experience vitamin D deficiency if they do not get exposure to enough sunlight. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that the body produces when the skin gets exposed to sunlight.

Vitamin D Deficiency

A Vitamin D deficiency can have many negative consequences on your health. 

Good health comes with a well-balanced diet that provides the right amount of nutrition: vitamins, essential fats, energy, protein, and minerals. A lack of any of these nutrients can have a negative impact on the quality of life. These nutrients regulate how our body grows and functions. When it comes to nutrients that build your body, vitamin D is one of the most important ones.

Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium to promote bone growth. Lack of Vitamin D can impact your overall health.

FALLING SICK OFTEN

Your immune system protects you from bacteria and viruses that can cause illness. Vitamin D interacts with the cells that build the immune system. When your body runs low on vitamin D, it affects your immunity, making you more prone to ailments like cold and flu, fever, allergies, asthma, and eczema.

SUSTAINED FATIGUE

Fatigue can pretty much affect every aspect of your life. Vitamin D boosts energy levels and keeps you active for a long time.

POOR BONE HEALTH

Another sign that indicates low blood levels of vitamin D is poor bone health. The right amount of vitamin D in your diet helps the body build and maintain bone health. Calcium and vitamin deficiency can increase bone damage and cause back pain. Weak bone health increases the risk of fractures and other injuries.

HAIR LOSS

Hair breakage and loss are commonly attributed to stress. However, other factors can also damage your hair. A deficiency in Vitamin D can cause severe hair fall.

WOUNDS HEAL SLOWLY

Our body has self-healing mechanisms that help restore and optimize health. But if you observe slow healing of wounds, it indicates Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D plays a significant role in fighting infection, controlling inflammation, and ensuring proper healing. Inadequate levels of Vitamin D can lead to impaired healing or even jeopardize the healing process completely.

KIDNEY AND LIVER HEALTH

People with liver disease and kidney disease tend to have lower vitamin D levels. These diseases can affect the body's ability to synthesize vitamin D or turn it into its active form.

SEVERE MUSCLE PAIN

A lack of Vitamin D can cause weakness in the muscles and lead to chronic muscle aches in both adults and children. There is also a link between chronic pain in muscles and low blood levels of Vitamin D.

BONE LOSS

Vitamin D plays a crucial role in calcium absorption and bone metabolism. Many older people who are diagnosed with bone loss believe they need to take more calcium. However, they may be deficient in vitamin D as well. Low bone mineral density is an indication that your bones have lost calcium and other minerals. This places older adults, especially women, at an increased risk of fractures.

Functions of vitamin D

Vitamin D has many important functions, including:

• supporting bone health
• promoting muscle health
• modulating the immune system
• regulating blood pressure and supporting cardiovascular health

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