Despite it’s name, Vitamin D isn’t actually a vitamin, and no matter
what you may think – chances are you aren’t getting nearly enough of it.
Vitamin D is actually a steroid released in your body when you are
exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D is not designed to be obtained or boosted
through diet, so watch out for products claiming to be right in vitamin
D, because chances are – it’s a sales gimmick. One of the worst
offenders of said sales gimmick is milk, leading people to believe they
are obtaining healthy levels of vitamin D, when they aren;t.
According to one of the leading vitamin D researchers, Dr. Michael Holick:
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 32
percent of children and adults throughout the US were vitamin D
deficient — and this is grossly underestimated as they used vitamin D
levels that were not consistent with optimal health.”
7Signs You May Be Vitamin D Deficient
The only way to know for sure if you’re vitamin D deficient is via blood
testing. However, there are some signs and symptoms to be aware of as
well. If any of the following apply to you, you should get your vitamin D
levels tested sooner rather than later.
1. You Have Darker Skin
African Americans are at greater risk of vitamin D deficiency, because
if you have dark skin, you may need as much as 10 times more sun
exposure to produce the same amount of vitamin D as a person with pale
skin!
As Dr. Holick explained, your skin pigment acts as a natural
sunscreen, so the more pigment you have, the more time you’ll need to
spend in the sun to make adequate amounts of vitamin D.
2. You Feel “Blue”
Serotonin, the brain hormone associated with mood elevation, rises with
exposure to bright light and falls with decreased sun exposure. In 2006,
scientists evaluated the effects of vitamin D on the mental health of
80 elderly patients and found those with the lowest levels of vitamin D
were 11 times more prone to be depressed than those who received healthy
doses.
3. You’re 50 or Older
4. You’re Overweight or Obese (or Have a Higher Muscle Mass)
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble, hormone-like vitamin, which means body fat
acts as a “sink” by collecting it. If you’re overweight or obese, you’re
therefore likely going to need more vitamin D than a slimmer person —
and the same holds true for people with higher body weights due to
muscle mass.
5. Your Bones Ache
According to Dr. Holick, many who see their doctor for aches and pains,
especially in combination with fatigue, end up being misdiagnosed as
having fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome.
“Many of these symptoms are classic signs of vitamin D deficiency
osteomalacia, which is different from the vitamin D deficiency that
causes osteoporosis in adults,” he says. “What’s happening is that the
vitamin D deficiency causes a defect in putting calcium into the
collagen matrix into your skeleton. As a result, you have throbbing,
aching bone pain.”
6. Head Sweating
According to Dr. Holick, one of the first, classic signs of vitamin D
deficiency is a sweaty head. In fact, physicians used to ask new mothers
about head sweating in their newborns for this very reason. Excessive
sweating in newborns due to neuromuscular irritability is still
described as a common, early symptom of vitamin D deficiency.
7. You Have Gut Trouble
Remember, vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means if you have a
gastrointestinal condition that affects your ability to absorb fat, you
may have lower absorption of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin D as
well. This includes gut conditions like Crohn’s, celiac and non-celiac
gluten sensitivity, and inflammatory bowel disease.
VIDEO: Optimizing Your Vitamin D Levels May Prevent Cancer, Heart Disease, and More:
Mercola.com
WebMD
