In the middle of the last century, health care professionals stated that consuming adequate quantities of vitamin D is essential for keeping your bones and teeth healthy. Today, however, it has a very higher place in human’s health. Vitamin D helps our body and brain development, increases our immune system efficiency and helps the body fight a number of illnesses.
You may believe that you are taking your daily dose of vitamin D by eating healthy, but studies show that only a small number of foods contain this vitamin and it’s very likely you are vitamin D deficient. This is why it’s necessary to increase d-vitamin levels trough supplementation and sun exposure.
What are the most common symptoms of vitamin D deficiency?
1. Muscle weakness – According to some experts, in order for the skeletal muscles to perform properly, their receptors should be supported by certain amount of vitamin D. So the first symptom of vitamin D deficiency is muscle weakness or lack of strength.
2. Weakened immune system – Almost every cell in the body has Vitamin D receptor sites. This includes the immune system cells. Vitamin D has been shown to increase the activity of immune system cells.Some studies show that supplementing with vitamin D reduces the chances of developing some illnesses and infections like Multiple Sclerosis and respiratory system infections (including asthma).
3. Depression – It’s been shown that there is a link between vitamin D deficiency and depression.Studies have shown that Vitamin D3 has helped reduce seasonal depression during winter months. Lack of UV Rays from the sun may be part of the reason for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
4. Skin conditions – Different studies published by PubMed central show that synthetic vitamin D analogues help in the treatment of psoriasis.
5. High blood pressure and heart diseases – Researches that were conducted at Harvard University showed that women with vitamin D deficiency had a 67 percent increased risk of developing hypertension. Other studies found that older adults who had low Vitamin D levels had twice the chances of developing cardiovascular disease compared to those who had adequate levels.
There are a lot of health issues that are associated with Vitamin D deficiency, including: obesity, fatigue, chronic pain, increased risk of bone fractures, diabetes, and many more. Supplementing with vitamin D might not solve these problems, but it will surely help in reducing them.