If you have low vitamin D, the main solutions are getting safe sun exposure, eating vitamin D-rich foods like fatty fish and fortified dairy, and taking supplements as advised by your doctor, who may recommend specific doses to safely raise your levels over time. Always consult a healthcare provider for a diagnosis and personalized treatment plan, as they can determine the right supplement dosage and rule out underlying issues, say Healthdirect and Cleveland Clinic.
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.
Vitamin D deficiency can lead to a loss of bone density, which can contribute to osteoporosis and fractures (broken bones). Severe vitamin D deficiency can also lead to other diseases: In children, it can cause rickets.
All pregnant women should take a 10 micrograms (400 units) vitamin D supplement daily from October to March. Women with dark skin or those who cover their skin may need supplements year-round. Most pregnancy supplements contain 400 units of vitamin D.
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!
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.
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.
Here are 10 unexpected signs of a vitamin D deficiency that may surprise you.
Adverse health outcomes such as preeclampsia, low birthweight, neonatal hypocalcemia, poor postnatal growth, bone fragility, and increased incidence of autoimmune diseases have been linked to low vitamin D levels during pregnancy and infancy.
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.
It primarily causes issues with your bones and muscles. Vitamin D is an essential vitamin that your body uses for normal bone development and maintenance. Vitamin D also plays a role in your nervous system, musculoskeletal system and immune system.
The correlation between Vitamin D deficiency and decreased sleep duration as well as impaired sleep efficiency has been well-documented in several studies.
Certain groups of people are more likely than others to have inadequate vitamin D status. These include breastfed infants, older adults, people with limited sun exposure, people with dark skin, people with conditions that limit fat absorption, and people with obesity or those who have undergone gastric bypass surgery.
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.
Fatty fish, egg yolks, and liver naturally contain vitamin D. It's also commonly added to foods, such as cow's milk, certain plant-based beverages, and breakfast cereals. You can also get vitamin D through supplements or cod liver oil.
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.
It is hypothesised that vitamin D deficiency is associated with female infertility through impaired ovulatory function as a result of dysregulated follicle development, hormone levels and elevated oxidative stress.
Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with increased risk of common cancers, autoimmune diseases, hypertension, and infectious diseases. A circulating level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D of >75 nmol/L, or 30 ng/mL, is required to maximize vitamin D's beneficial effects for health.
Can low vitamin D cause you to feel cold? Instead, vitamin D deficiencies typically result in rickets and other bone deficiencies. [10] While these conditions can lead to feelings of coldness, they don't seem to play as direct a role in thermoregulation as the B vitamins.
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.
Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency can cause muscle aches, weakness, and bone pain in people of all ages. Muscle spasms (tetany) may be the first sign of rickets in infants. They are caused by a low calcium level in the blood in people with severe vitamin D deficiency.
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.
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).
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.
Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency
Mood changes accompanied by overwhelming feelings of hopelessness, sadness, and hopelessness. Fatigue. Forgetfulness.