The root cause of vitamin D deficiency stems from insufficient sunlight exposure, inadequate dietary intake, or the body's inability to process it, often due to liver/kidney issues, gut malabsorption (like Crohn's or celiac disease), certain medications, obesity, dark skin, or aging, all preventing adequate vitamin D production or utilization for strong bones and overall health.
You can become deficient in vitamin D for different reasons:
Vitamin D deficiency can also play a role in causing muscle twitches. Your nerve cells need vitamin D to carry messages from your brain to your muscles, so it makes sense that without enough, your muscles would start to twitch and feel weak.
Medical conditions that can cause vitamin D deficiency include: Cystic fibrosis, Crohn's disease and celiac disease: These conditions can prevent your intestines from adequately absorbing enough vitamin D through supplements, especially if the condition is untreated.
Yes, vitamin D deficiency can be linked to itchy rashes, especially conditions like eczema (atopic dermatitis) and psoriasis, because vitamin D helps regulate the immune system and skin barrier, while low levels can increase inflammation and susceptibility to skin issues. Research shows a connection between low vitamin D and various itchy skin problems, including hives (urticaria) and general rashes, with supplementation sometimes improving symptoms.
If you're lacking in vitamin D, your skin may tell on you. For example, if you're not getting enough vitamin D, your complexion might be dull, lacking that desired glow and you might also experience dry, flaky skin on your face and other areas of your body.
Itching (pruritus) can stem from deficiencies in essential nutrients like iron, vitamin D, B vitamins (like B12, B6), calcium, and zinc, which impact skin health, nerve function, and immune responses, often leading to dry, inflamed, or irritated skin. While iron deficiency is a well-known cause, other deficiencies affect skin barrier and repair, so seeing a doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment (supplements, diet changes) is crucial.
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.
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.
Symptoms when vitamin D is low
Fatigue. Not sleeping well. Bone pain or achiness. Depression or feelings of sadness.
Muscle twitching in the legs after a long walk is usually harmless. It can often be addressed by adequate rest and hydration. Dehydration and reduced electrolyte levels are common causes of muscle twitching, so ensuring you drink enough water and consume foods rich in nutrients like potassium and calcium may help.
Epidemiological studies have shown that 25OHD deficiency is closely associated with common chronic diseases such as bone metabolic disorders, tumors, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes. 25OHD deficiency is also a risk factor for neuropsychiatric disorders and autoimmune diseases.
Any currently treated or untreated nutrient deficiency or disease. These include, but are not limited to, Protein Energy Malnutrition, Scurvy, Rickets, Beriberi, Hypocalcemia, Osteomalacia, Vitamin K Deficiency, Pellagra, Xerophthalmia, and Iron Deficiency.
The NIH writes that vitamin D deficiency can be caused by: Not getting enough vitamin D through diet. Your body not absorbing vitamin D from your diet. Not getting enough sun exposure.
The correlation between Vitamin D deficiency and decreased sleep duration as well as impaired sleep efficiency has been well-documented in several studies.
Yes! Taking Vitamin D and Magnesium together can help support a healthy immune system. Vitamin D aids Magnesium absorption, and Magnesium helps Vitamin D work better.
The two most common mistakes when taking vitamin D are taking it without adequate fatty foods for absorption, and neglecting to take it with Vitamin K2 and magnesium, which are crucial for directing calcium to bones and activating the vitamin D in your body, respectively, leading to ineffective supplementation or calcium buildup issues. Many also mistakenly choose the less effective D2 form over D3, or take incorrect dosages without blood tests, according to this snippet from Healthshots, this snippet from GrassrootsHealth, this snippet from Yahoo! Health, this snippet from the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, and this snippet from Verywell Mind.
Magnesium deficiency symptoms start mild with fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and headaches, but progress to more severe issues like muscle cramps/spasms, numbness, tingling, anxiety, insomnia, abnormal heart rhythms, and even seizures, affecting nerve, muscle, and brain function crucial for overall health.
Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency
Mood changes accompanied by overwhelming feelings of hopelessness, sadness, and hopelessness. Fatigue. Forgetfulness.
Dr. Dreger offers 5 tips for combating that bone loss:
What other conditions can cause itchy skin?
The observed reduction in pruritus severity in our meta-analysis may be attributable to these anti-inflammatory effects, suggesting that vitamin D could be particularly beneficial for patients with inflammatory skin conditions.