How to Spot a Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D, also called the sunshine vitamin, is one of the only vitamins requiring external factors to process. Sunlight helps turn cholesterol in the body into vitamin D, which means people can become lacking due to either not eating foods high in vitamin D or not spending enough time in the sunlight. In fact, this deficit of vitamin D is becoming an epidemic, with some stories reporting that as many as 41% of American adults and 1 billion people worldwide need more vitamin D. How do you know if you're among them? A vitamin D deficiency has subtle symptoms, but these five can help you to gauge whether you should approach your healthcare provider about this issue.
1. Fatigue
Feeling overly tired or exhausted with normal daily activity is a common symptom that could be related to a number of issues, such as anemia or thyroid disorder. Checking vitamin D always is a good idea, as unexplained fatigue could be from a problem as simple as needing a vitamin supplement.
2. Various Aches and Pains
People who have Vitamin D deficiencies often go to the doctor complaining about random pains that are not easily describable. Muscle pain without physical exertion is common for people deficient in Vitamin D. Bone aches or easy injury to bones can be signs that someone needs more Vitamin D. One of the reasons vitamin D deficiency is not as quickly diagnosed as possible is because this symptom, like others, can be so subtle that patients and medical providers write it off as "normal" aches and fatigue.
3. Excessive Sweating
Sweating with normal daily activities, especially if it is a new issue, can mean that you need more vitamin D. Although there is little to suggest why, people who are vitamin D deficient often have a sheen or layer of sweat on their foreheads. Should you notice that you are developing this sweat layer in environments that are normal temperatures, a vitamin D test could be in order.
4. Depression
Like other deficiencies in the body, a lack of vitamin D can cause depression. People with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in particular should consider a lack of vitamin D. SAD typically occurs in the winter months when sunshine is limited in most places. Taking a supplement for this time could be beneficial to staving off the depression common among SAD patients during the winter months.
5. Frequent Sickness
As with any vitamin or mineral that someone may lack, vitamin D deficiency can cause frequent sickness. In particular with this vitamin, the immune system may become compromised without sufficient levels of vitamin D. A number of studies and data report that low vitamin D can translate into frequent colds, coughs, and other minor illnesses. Someone who is getting sick frequently from basic infections should ask for a vitamin D check.
While problems with vitamin B, thyroid hormones, and reproductive hormones are commonly cited as the reason for illness, the truth is that low vitamin D often is an undetected, yet dangerous, problem that is simple to test and cure. Additionally, if it has been determined that you require vitamin D and are on the the low-calorie phase of the HCG Diet, no worries. While it's true that during this phase, taking vitamins and supplements is not recommended, Dr. Simeons did allow participants to take calcium, vitamin C and vitamin D, as long as they were not in an oily solution.