Why you Need to Avoid Low Vitamin D Levels   – Whitney Rehabilitation Care Center (2024)

FAQs

Why is it critical to avoid a vitamin D deficiency? ›

Vitamin D plays a crucial role in calcium homeostasis and bone metabolism. With chronic and/or severe vitamin D deficiency, a decline in intestinal calcium and phosphorus absorption leads to hypocalcemia, leading to secondary hyperparathyroidism.

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.

If wounds take longer than usual to heal, it might be a sign of low vitamin D levels. Vitamin D can stop bone loss and boost source bone mass. An absence of vitamin D may be the cause of joint and bone discomfort.

You can become deficient in vitamin D for different reasons: You don't get enough vitamin D in your diet. You don't absorb enough vitamin D from food (a malabsorption problem) You don't get enough exposure to sunlight.

Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include fatigue, mood changes, increased sensitivity to pain, muscle weakness, cognitive impairment (such as impaired episodic memory and executive dysfunction), feelings of overwhelming hopelessness or sadness, loss of interest in activities that were previously a source of enjoyment, ...

What causes vitamin D deficiency? In general, the two main causes of vitamin D deficiency are: Not getting enough vitamin D in your diet and/or through sunlight. Your body isn't properly absorbing or using vitamin D.

A lack of vitamin D can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children, and bone pain caused by a condition called osteomalacia in adults. Government advice is that everyone should consider taking a daily vitamin D supplement during the autumn and winter.

However, it generally takes about 6-8 weeks of supplementation for your vitamin D levels to go back into the normal range. Even after your Vitamin D levels get normal, your doctor may still have you take supplements for a while to make sure your levels don't fall below normal again.

Frequent illness or infections

If you often become sick, low vitamin D levels may be a contributing factor. Research suggests there's a link between vitamin D deficiency and respiratory tract infections, such as the common cold , bronchitis, and pneumonia.

In other words, if you're low in D, your skin may suffer. BLOG: Are You Getting Enough Vitamin B12? Here's one possibility as to why: Vitamin D is known to reduce inflammation and inflammation is one of the causes of skin conditions, such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, rashes and more.

What depletes vitamin D? ›

Vitamin D deficiency is most commonly caused by a lack of exposure to sunlight. Some disorders can also cause the deficiency. The most common cause is lack of exposure to sunlight, usually when the diet is deficient in vitamin D, but certain disorders can also cause the deficiency.

Vitamin D is a vital nutrient that offers numerous essential benefits for your bones, muscles, nerves, and immune system. Too little vitamin D can lead to symptoms like fatigue, frequent illness or bone fractures, hair loss, and muscle and bone pain. Blood tests can confirm if you have a vitamin D deficiency.

"Most patients 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," says Dr. Lacey. Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency may include: Fatigue. Not sleeping well.

Various studies have shown an association between vitamin D deficiency and neurodegenerative conditions like dementia (loss of memory), cognitive decline (loss of the ability to think critically) in the elderly, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease.

Taken in appropriate doses, vitamin D is generally considered safe. However, taking too much vitamin D in the form of supplements can be harmful. Children age 9 years and older, adults, and pregnant and breastfeeding women who take more than 4,000 IU a day of vitamin D might experience: Nausea and vomiting.

Vitamin D3 deficiency can result in obesity, diabetes, hypertension, depression, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, osteoporosis and neuro-degenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease.

Vitamin D deficiency can cause weak bones — a condition called osteoporosis in adults and rickets in children. Low blood levels of this vitamin have also been linked to an increased risk for: Cancer. Heart disease and stroke.

Vitamin D makes our bodies better at absorbing other nutrients, namely calcium and phosphorus, both important for bone health. Vitamin D also helps to restore and maintain the calcium in our bones, where 99% of it resides. Without sufficient vitamin D, bones can become weak and fragile.