Yes, vitamin D deficiency can contribute to sugar cravings, as low levels affect mood (leading to comfort eating) and can disrupt glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity, making the body seek quick energy from sugar for temporary boosts, say health experts. This deficiency can cause fatigue and low mood, prompting cravings for quick-energy, sugary foods, and it also impacts hormones that regulate appetite and blood sugar.
Vitamin D is increasingly recognized for its role in mood regulation and insulin sensitivity. Low levels are often associated with low mood or seasonal affective disorder, which can lead to comfort eating and sugar cravings. It also impacts how the body processes glucose.
Lack of Calcium and Magnesium causes sweet cravings.
If you are craving sweets, such as sparkling, it may be a sign that your body is deficient in calcium and magnesium, which can result in fatigue and a lack of alertness.
5 foods naturally high in vitamin D:
Here are 10 unexpected signs of a vitamin D deficiency that may surprise you.
When vitamin D levels are low and the body isn't able to properly absorb calcium and phosphorus, there is an increased risk of bone pain, bone fractures, muscle pain, and muscle weakness. In older adults, severe vitamin D deficiency (levels less than 10 ng/mL) may also contribute to an increased risk of falls.
Yes, you can do a vitamin D test at home using simple finger-prick kits (like TouchBio, 2San, We Test Bio) that provide quick, preliminary results (often in 10 mins) by analyzing a drop of blood to check if levels are sufficient, insufficient, or deficient, helping you monitor bone health and immune support, but you should always discuss abnormal results with a doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment.
Although the list of foods naturally high in vitamin D is a short one, there are foods and beverages – like milk, orange juice, nutritional shakes and breakfast cereals fortified with the nutrient to help make life a little easier!
You can become deficient in vitamin D for different reasons:
Bananas: Banana is another excellent fruit rich in vitamin D. They serve as a remarkable source of magnesium, which stimulates the body's production of vitamin D. Magnesium plays a pivotal role in ,modulating parathyroid hormone levels and the active form of vitamin D, both of which play a crucial role in maintaining ...
Craving sugary foods might be more than just a sweet tooth; it could hint at blood sugar imbalances or nutrient deficiencies. Alongside chromium, deficiencies in magnesium, zinc, B vitamins, vitamin D, and tryptophan could also play a role.
Overall, B vitamins are regarded as essential supplements to curb sugar cravings. Zinc is an essential mineral that plays a vital role in your metabolism and energy, as well as the digestion of your food. It regulates the production of insulin. A zinc deficiency may result in sugar cravings and an increased appetite.
Ghrelin, known as the hunger hormone, stimulates your appetite. And research shows that an increase in ghrelin levels may contribute to your sugar cravings. “Low serotonin levels can also trigger cravings for sugar,” explains Taylor. “So, if you're feeling down or stressed, sugar can be especially appealing.”
With respect to mood, the serotonergic pathway would predict that, in people who have insufficient levels of vitamin D, mood may improve when serum 25(OH)D increases as this may increase the availability of serotonin in the brain via TPH2 expression [6].
Low vitamin D is associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Low vitamin D has a role in the development of Type1 DM, suggested by the presence of vitamin D response element in the human insulin gene promoter. In addition, vitamin D regulates T-cell responses and may protect beta cells from immune attacks.
Vitamin D helps regulate the hormones that control appetite so that a deficiency can lead to a loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss. If you don't have enough vitamin D, you may not feel hungry, or like you don't have enough energy to eat.
Symptoms when vitamin D is low
Fatigue. Not sleeping well. Bone pain or achiness. Depression or feelings of sadness.
Adequate levels of magnesium in the body are necessary for the absorption and metabolism of vitamin D, important for maintaining healthy bones and teeth and supporting the body's immune system, brain and nervous system.
Vitamin D absorption can be prevented by limited sun exposure (dark skin, sunscreen, covering up, indoor lifestyle), medical conditions (celiac, Crohn's, cystic fibrosis, liver/kidney disease, obesity), certain medications (steroids, anti-seizure drugs, weight-loss drugs), and even some nutritional factors like low magnesium, with fat malabsorption issues and obesity being major culprits for preventing both dietary and sun-derived vitamin D from working effectively.
The correlation between Vitamin D deficiency and decreased sleep duration as well as impaired sleep efficiency has been well-documented in several studies.
You'll find it naturally in foods like fatty fish, eggs, mushrooms, and cod liver oil. Many other foods — like breakfast cereals, tofu, yogurt, and plant-based beverages — are fortified with vitamin D to boost your intake.
Vitamin D deficiency causes rickets in children and will precipitate and exacerbate osteopenia, osteoporosis, and fractures in adults. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with increased risk of common cancers, autoimmune diseases, hypertension, and infectious diseases.
“Check the current USDA label on a carton of eggs and it will show that having that two-egg omelet provides 22 percent of the recommended daily allowance for vitamin D.
Possible interactions include:
Management of Vitamin D Deficiency
For a serum level below 12 ng/mL, initial supplementation for 8 weeks with either vitamin D2 or D3 is recommended. Options include 6,000 IU (150 mcg) daily or 25,000 to 50,000 IU (625-1250 mcg) weekly.