A lack of Vitamin D often causes subtle symptoms like tiredness, bone/muscle pain, and mood changes (depression, irritability), though many people have no obvious signs until severe deficiency develops, leading to soft bones (rickets in kids, osteomalacia in adults), increased fractures, and frequent illness, impacting energy, immunity, and overall well-being.
Symptoms when vitamin D is low
Fatigue. Not sleeping well. Bone pain or achiness. Depression or feelings of sadness.
To quickly increase Vitamin D, combine safe sunlight exposure (10-20 mins daily without sunscreen for lighter skin), taking high-dose Vitamin D3 supplements (consult a doctor first), and eating foods like fatty fish (salmon, tuna), egg yolks, fortified milk/cereals, and sun-exposed mushrooms, ensuring you take supplements with a fat source for better absorption.
Most people have no symptoms, or only vague ones such as tiredness or aches. Severe vitamin D deficiency can cause soft bones, known as rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. Symptoms include bone pains (often in the legs), weak muscles and bowing of the leg bones in children.
Symptoms when vitamin D is low
Most people with vitamin D deficiency are asymptomatic. However, if you're exhausted, your bones hurt, you have muscle weakness or mood changes, that's an indication that something may be abnormal with your body.
Here are 10 unexpected signs of a vitamin D deficiency that may surprise you.
No natural fruits are high in Vitamin D; it's primarily from sunlight, fatty fish, and fortified foods, but some fruits help absorption (avocado, banana) or are fortified (orange juice), while dried figs and apricots offer some benefits, so focus on fortified juices, plant milks, or supplements for D, alongside fruits that support its function.
The foods highest in vitamin D are fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna) and fish liver oils (like cod liver oil), with egg yolks, beef liver, and UV-exposed mushrooms also containing significant amounts, but most people get vitamin D from fortified foods like milk, cereals, and juices.
Vitamin D seems to have an important role in sleep regulation (7). Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of sleep disorders and is reported to be associated with sleep difficulties, shorter sleep duration, and nocturnal awakenings (8–10).
Vitamin D deficiency primarily causes bone diseases like Rickets in children (soft, bent bones) and Osteomalacia (soft bones) in adults, leading to pain and weakness, plus increased risk for Osteoporosis and fractures. Long-term deficiency is also linked to muscle weakness, increased falls, cardiovascular issues, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders, though these connections are complex.
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!
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.
Fatty fish (like trout, salmon, tuna, and mackerel) and fish liver oils are among the best natural sources of vitamin D. Beef liver, egg yolks, and cheese have small amounts of vitamin D. Mushrooms provide a little vitamin D. Some mushrooms have been exposed to ultraviolet light to increase their vitamin D content.
Taking an over-the-counter vitamin D supplement can help raise your levels and improve deficiency symptoms within six weeks to four months, depending on how severe your deficiency is. You may begin to feel consistently more energetic and in a better mood when your use of vitamin D supplements starts to work.
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.
Vitamin D insufficiency and osteoporosis. There is evidence that several HKMDs, including Huntington disease, RLS, and tremor, are associated with low vitamin D serum levels.
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.
Orthopedicians can also treat, but an endocrinologist will assess more accurately. meet an endocrinologist.
Supplementing vitamin B6 may improve sleep quality and duration. A 2019 study also found that taking a supplement of magnesium, melatonin, and vitamin B complex for 3 months improved sleep and helped treat insomnia.
Vitamin D Fruits and Vegetables:
Egg yolks
So skip the egg-white-only scramble if you're going for vitamin content. How much? One large egg yolk contains around 41 IUs of vitamin D, or roughly 5% of the recommended daily value. Try this: A veggie omelet with mushrooms (more on those below!)
To quickly increase Vitamin D, combine safe sunlight exposure (10-20 mins daily without sunscreen for lighter skin), taking high-dose Vitamin D3 supplements (consult a doctor first), and eating foods like fatty fish (salmon, tuna), egg yolks, fortified milk/cereals, and sun-exposed mushrooms, ensuring you take supplements with a fat source for better absorption.
Some of the most nutrient-dense vegetables are dark, leafy greens, such as:
When it comes to Vitamin D, it doesn't matter if you're eating them raw, baked, or boiled, with or without skin, because apples don't contain any vitamin D at all. But they're rich in fiber (eat the peels) and high in antioxidants like vitamin C.
You can boost Vitamin D content in your body by incorporating dry fruits such as almonds, raisins, prunes, and figs. Also meat, mushroom, and yogurt are also good sources of vitamin D.