14 Signs Of Vitamin D Deficiency You Should Know

What Are The Major Types Of Vitamin D?

When taking Vitamin D it is always better to opt for oil-based supplements or take it with food that contains fats, due to its fat-soluble properties. The Vitamin D is classified into two main categories which are Ergocalciferol known as Vitamin D2 and Cholecalciferol known as Vitamin D3

Vitamin D2 (Ergocalciferol)

Vitamin D is a vegetarian-based vitamin that is extracted from plants. This kind of vitamin is widely produced as it is much cheaper in terms of cultivating, processing, and production. The major source of vitamin D2 includes fortified foods such as cereals, plant-based milk, infant formula, margarine, orange juice, yeasts, and some species of mushrooms. It is also available in the form of supplements most often in the form of oil-based capsules.

Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol)

Vitamin D3 comes from animal and fish sources and can be found commonly in many foods, although it can also be made through lichen which is a symbiotic partnership of two separate organisms which are fungus and an alga commonly found on trees, soil, rocks, cars, old farm equipment, houses, tombstones and more. Vitamin D3 is commonly found in the following foods:

• major fish species
• Egg
• Liver
• Cod liver oil
• Dairy products

Difference Between Vitamin D and D3 And Which Is Better?

There are only two sources of vitamin D which are Vitamin D2 and D3. Both D2 and D3 are the subclass of vitamin D and have significant differences in the terms of effects. There is an ongoing debate between biological scientific researchers about D2 and D3 effectiveness in blood levels.

Vitamin D2 ergocalciferol is a plant-extracted vitamin that is not easily absorbed in the blood as compared to Vitamin D3 in the body. According to the Harvard Research Center, a group of randomized controlled trials for meta-analysis was compared to the effectiveness of D2 and D3 found that D3 has more tendency to raise blood concentration and can sustain its level for a longer period as compared to D2. Some researchers preferred Vitamin D3 over D2 as it is produced naturally in the body and also found in some food that contains Cholecalciferol which is easily converted to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D as it is an active form of vitamin D.

Fun Fact About Vitamin D

Your body won’t produce vitamin D while you are working in a sunny office or driving on a sunny day as glass windows completely block UVB ultraviolet light

14 Signs Of Vitamin D Deficiency

Muscles Pain

Permanent muscular pain can be the first sign of vitamin D deficiency as it is one of the most vital nutrients in the body to keep your muscles relaxed and healthy. A lack of Vitamin D makes the entire body’s muscles weak.

Painful Bones

Vitamin D helps your bone to absorb calcium, if your bones are feeling pain on daily bases this might be a sign of vitamin D deficiency. Your bone becomes weak and can be broken with a minor injury.

Reduced Endurance

Vitamin D helps you to maintain energy levels for a longer time period in low and extreme physical activity. If you are facing Vitamin D deficiency, your physical activities will be limited to a very low extent and may lead to fatigue situation.

Low Moods

Low mood is another symptom of vitamin D deficiency. This is an important nutrient that helps you to keep your mood stable. If you experience rapid mood swings and cannot maintain a positive look, then you should opt for a physical exam to diagnose Vitamin D deficiency.

Problems Sleeping Well

Vitamin D helps you to maintain and fuel up energy in your body, if suffering from Vitamin D deficiency you will be unable to get proper sleep due to pain in muscles and bones including fatigue which is one of the main causes of bad sleep.

Sweaty Head

A sweaty head is one of the most signs of vitamin D deficiency in your body as it is one of the vital nutrients that helps you to keep your body cool. If you are suffering from vitamin D deficiency then you may find yourself sweating more than usual. This is also because your body is not able to work for longer time periods due to which you become tired and sweat more. This condition can lead to dehydration as well.

Losing Hair

Vitamin D is a very important nutrient that helps you to keep your hair and nails healthy. Due to its low level of it, your hair may become weak, thin, and brittle due to which you can face hair loss. In some medical cases hair loss can lead you toward personality disorder or in some cases even more worst conditions.

Wounds Heal Slowly

As we discussed above that vitamin d is very important in developing bones, muscles, and even skin. If your Vit-D level is low then your immune system is also low in which your wounds won’t heal up quickly as compared to a normal-level person.

Excessive Body Weight

Vitamin D helps in stabilizing the metabolism rate in our body due to which we are able to maintain our weight and also helps in decreasing weight from physical activities. If you are facing Vitamin D deficiency then you will face difficulty in reducing your weight and also face overweight problems like obesity and heart-related diseases.

Calcium

Vitamin D helps you in absorbing calcium in your bones which increases bones’ immunity. If your bones dont get sufficient daily requirements it will make your bone density low and also weak. This can cause the bone to become fragile and brittle and your bone can easily be fractured.

Dizziness

Vitamin D plays a very important neurological factor in keeping your balance controlled. Without it, you will feel dizzy and would find yourself having difficulty performing daily activities like driving a car, doing physical activity, doing mental work, or even while you are walking.

Heart Problems

The heart plays a very important role in the human body as it circulated blood across the body. If you are suffering from vitamin d deficiency then it may lead to an increase in blood pressure. This essential nutrient helps you to keep your blood vessels healthy and helps to maintain blood pressure. Vitamin D also helps in keeping your heart healthy which prevents you from heart disease.

Reduced Cognitive Function

Cognitive functions help you to keep your things remembered and also help you in thinking of problem-solving approaches. Without Vitamin D you will feel difficult to keep things remember and be unable to perform daily activities.

Recurring Infections

Vitamin D helps you in maintaining your immune system healthy and helps your body to fight against various infections. If you are suffering from vitamin D then you might face recurring infections more frequently and you will get sick more often as compared to a normal person.

Why Vitamin D Drops For Infants Are Important?

Mother feeding (breastfeeding) is best for the baby to get nutrients. As mother’s milk covers all kinds of essential nutrients but sometimes babies dont get enough vitamin D from their mother’s milk as it can cause rickets, a softening, and weakening of bones including a weak immune system as well.

The best source of vitamin D for infants is sunlight but too much sunlight is also not recommended for infants, due to which additional supplement is required to fulfill their daily needs. Vitamin D helps in absorbing calcium and phosphorus which is against every nutrient to fuel up your body.

Frequently Asked Questions

– Disclaimer –
This blog is for informational & educational purposes only, and does not intend to substitute any professional medical advice or consultation. For any health related concerns, please consult with your physician, or call 911.