Why Your Fatigue Can Be Due to Vitamin D Deficiency

What is Vitamin D?

Vitamin D, famously known as sunshine Vitamin, is produced from cholesterol when your skin is exposed to the sunlight. It is also naturally found in certain food items such as fish, fish liver oil, beef liver, cheese, egg yolk, some dairy products and grains fortified with Vitamin D (1).

About 50-90% Vitamin D required by the body is produced by the exposure to sunlight while the rest comes from the diet (2).

Risk groups for Vitamin D deficiency

People with dietary restrictions such as those suffering from lactose intolerance or those on a strict vegan diet are more likely to suffer from a Vitamin D deficiency.

Some people also have malabsorption disorders leading to poor absorption of Vitamin D. Likewise, people having liver or kidney disorders fail to convert Vitamin D into its active form which is utilized by the body.

Another major cause of Vitamin D deficiency is reduced exposure to sunlight. During the recent years, awareness campaigns focusing on harmful effects of sunlight has led to people covering up in the sun and using sunscreens. Also, nowadays people spend less time outdoors as most activities are carried out indoors. Resultantly, Vitamin D levels start falling without most people realizing it.

Vitamin D deficiency has become a global problem occurring even in countries where it is assumed that sunlight should be enough to prevent the deficiency. More than a billion people suffer from Vitamin D deficiency worldwide (3).

Why is Vitamin D important?

Vitamin D is important for the absorption and utilization of calcium which is critical for healthy bones and teeth. It also strengthens our immune system and prevents infections.

Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency:

Excessive Tiredness: Your chronic daytime fatigue may be due to low levels of Vitamin D.
Weaker Immune System: Frequent infections may indicate a Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D strengthens immune system thus helping ward off infections.
Aching Bones: Vitamin D stimulates the absorption of calcium needed by the bones (4, 5).
Depression: Vitamin D deficiency can impact your mood and subject you to depression (6).
Low Bone Density: Enough Vitamin D is important to maintain healthy bone density especially as you age (7).
Muscle Pain: Chronic muscle aches can be linked to low blood levels of Vitamin D (8).

Risks Associated with Vitamin D Deficiency - Short Term and Long Term:

Vitamin D deficiency can increase your risk of getting several preventable health conditions.

Short Term Risks:

Although the short term effects of Vitamin D deficiency can be reversible, its long term effects are far more dangerous and difficult to cure. Some short term health risks associated with its deficiency include:

Bone weakness and pain
Muscle weakness and persisting pain
Low productivity due to chronic day time tiredness
Back pain
Hair loss
Frequent infections

Long Term Risks:

Cardiovascular diseases
Higher incidence of cancer
Greater likelihood of developing prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction
Higher risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
Greater risk of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and psoriatic arthritis
Osteoporosis (bone loss)

Last but not the least, Vitamin D deficiency can eventually result in an early death.

Other Diseases That Can Be Related to Similar Symptoms:

To establish differential diagnosis of Vitamin D deficiency, there are certain conditions which should be considered. Such as:

Chronic fatigue syndrome
Primary hyperparathyroidism
Fibromyalgia
Multiple myeloma
Paget disease
Blount syndrome
Metaphyseal dysostosis
Malabsorptive diseases i-e cystic fibrosis, celiac sprue, short bowel syndrome
Liver and kidney diseases

Latest Research on Vitamin D:

During the recent years, extensive research has been conducted on diverse health effects of Vitamin D. A study published in February 2018 concluded that Vitamin D deficiency is an important factor contributing towards the development of inflammatory bowel disease (9).

The importance of Vitamin D in promoting skeletal health is well established. Vitamin D deficiency is the most common cause of rickets throughout the world (10).

Vitamin D is known to have an immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory action. As a result, its deficiency causes autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and frequent infections (11).

Urinary incontinence, although not inevitable, is widely prevalent among older adults. A 2018 study has established the link between urinary incontinence and deficiency of Vitamin D (12).

Why Should You Order a Vitamin D Home Test?

If you are experiencing the symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency, you are recommended to opt for a Vitamin D home test. Once the diagnosis has been established, you can make simple changes to help your body overcome the deficiency.

How Can I Increase My Vitamin D Levels?

Simple life style changes can help you get enough Vitamin D to fulfill your body’s requirements.

Expose your bare skin to sunlight more frequently (without burning yourself).
Take Vitamin D supplements (with the food).
Eat dietary products rich in Vitamin D such as fish liver oil, fatty fish like tuna and salmon, beef liver, orange juice and egg yolks.

Vitamin D Home Test Suppliers:

Vitamin D home test

Vitamin D Test

TRUE HEALTH Labs

Description

Order is placed online and the test kit is mailed to your given address.
A local clinic can help you withdraw blood or someone at home who is adequately trained.
You ship the test back to the lab and results are e-mailed to you.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

Reliable
Easy to perform
Results are confidential
You can get your results interpreted by a doctor over the phone. Book the doctor online from www.truehealthlabs.com

Cons: