How do I know if I’m low on Vitamin D?

Vitamin D plays a vital role in maintaining your health. But what is it, and how do you know if you’re getting enough of it?

In this blog, we will discuss what vitamin D is, where you get it from, the symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency, and how to test your vitamin D levels.

What is vitamin D?

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient that helps the body build and maintain healthy bones and a healthy immune system. The vitamin is known as the “sunshine vitamin” because most of a person’s vitamin D will come from exposure to sunlight.

Vitamin D has garnered much attention recently because of its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties. Recent research has shown that vitamin D plays a crucial role in preventing a host of chronic conditions, including:

• Osteoporosis
• Depression
• Type 2 diabetes
• Heart Disease
• MS (multiple sclerosis)
• Some forms of cancer

Several studies have shown that vitamin D deficiencies are widespread. Between 21%-40% of people in the UK have a vitamin D deficiency.

Where do you get vitamin D from?

You can get vitamin D from several different sources.

Food

Vitamin D can be found in all sorts of foods. Still, oily fish like salmon, trout, mackerel, sardines, tuna, and anchovies remains the richest source of vitamin D. You can also find vitamin D in eggs, mushrooms, red meats, cheeses, and organ meats like liver. While foods are an essential source of vitamin D, it’s unlikely that you will be able to meet your vitamin D requirements from diet alone.

Sunlight exposure

Most people get sufficient vitamin D via skin synthesis through sun exposure. Ultraviolet radiation from sunlight converts cholesterol in the skin into vitamin D, and proteins transport the vitamin into the blood via capillaries between the epidermis and the lower skin layers. In this manner, going outside for short periods in strong sunlight, leaving areas of skin that are often exposed uncovered, will create the levels of vitamin D that most people will need. More prolonged exposure might be needed for people with darker skin tones. (Prolonged exposure to sunlight, however, can be harmful.)

Supplements

The UK government advises most people to take vitamin D supplements, especially during winter when the sun shines for fewer hours of the day. The daily recommended vitamin D supplement dose is around 400 IU (international units) of vitamin D. Magnesium helps the body absorb vitamin D, so this mineral is often taken in conjunction with vitamin D dietary supplements.

Medication

Some people may have a severe vitamin D deficiency that will require medication to treat correctly, usually with high-strength tablets or injections.

What are the symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency?

While the only way to know if you have a vitamin D deficiency is to get tested, many symptoms can correlate with low vitamin D levels.

Frequent illness

Vitamin D supports your immune system, which helps you ward off viruses and infections.  Low levels of vitamin D can make you more susceptible to common infections like the common cold, the flu, bronchitis, and pneumonia.

Fatigue

Vitamin D deficiencies often correlate with symptoms of fatigue. For example, some studies have found that vitamin D deficiencies have been linked to poor quality sleep, shorter sleep, and inconsistent sleep, all of which cause fatigue.

Bone pain, muscle pain, and joint pain

Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium, which is vital for bone health. As such, some studies have shown that a vitamin D deficiency can correlate with higher levels of musculoskeletal pain and muscle weakness.

A vitamin D deficiency might also be a potential cause of various types of muscle pain. In one study, 71% of people with chronic pain were found to have a vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D may also play a role in the body’s pain signalling pathways.

Depression

Lower levels of vitamin D have been linked to depression. Supplementing vitamin D has been shown to be therapeutic for depression in some studies. However, more research is needed to understand any links between vitamin D and depression.

Hair loss

Severe hair loss has been known to result from vitamin D deficiency. Some studies have shown that low vitamin D levels have been linked to severe hair loss in women.

Weight gain

Low vitamin D levels have been shown to be a risk factor for obesity.

Anxiety

Low levels of vitamin D can correlate with some anxiety disorders. However, more research in this area is needed.

The causes of vitamin D deficiency

A single factor rarely causes a vitamin D deficiency. Common risk factors for having a vitamin D deficiency include:

• Staying or working indoors
• Working night shifts
• Obesity
• Having darker skin
• Not eating vitamin D-rich foods like fish and dairy
• Living away from the equator where there is less sunlight year-round
• Having chronic diseases like kidney disease, Crohn’s, celiac disease, and hyperparathyroidism.
• Wearing too much sunscreen outdoors

How do I get tested for vitamin D deficiency?

Test your vitamin D levels with Better2Know’s comprehensive vitamin D home test.

With this blood test, you can test your vitamin D levels from the comfort of your own home. When you’ve collected your samples, post them to us using the postage-paid envelope included in your kit and get your results the same day your samples arrive at our lab.  

You can also browse our full range of health and wellness tests or call the number above to speak to a dedicated member of our team for assistance.

---