By now we all know that Vitamin D is an important factor in good health and that we get it from the sun. We also hear that many people are deficient, in fact according to NHANES (2016) over 95% of all adults in the USA do not consume enough Vitamin D and inevitably suffer from Vitamin D deficiency.
The problem is how do we know if we are suffering from deficiency, aside from doing bloodwork which can be expensive, hard to find or inconvenient. Fortunately, studies have documented the warning signs of Vitamin D deficiency so we can catch it before it becomes a major health concern.
- Insomnia – so many of us suffer from insomnia and there can be multiple causes, however studies show that low Vitamin D levels are a cause of insomnia.
- Nervousness – do you consider yourself a nervous person? It may be a lack of Vitamin D and not your personality. Often people believe they are just nervous in nature when a lack of nutrients is at the root of this issue.
- Excess cavities – evidence shows us that a lack of vitamin D leads to softened tooth enamel and ultimately more cavities and susceptibility to cavities. If you are prone to cavities regardless of dental hygiene practices it may be a sign you are lacking Vitamin D.
- Bone pain – a hundred years ago the true test for Vitamin D deficiency was a practice rightly called bone scraping; this consists if applying pressure by hand to the shin or arm bone and essentially ‘scraping’ it with your fingers through the skin. If the pain was immense, it was presumed Vitamin D deficiency. I wouldn’t put so much weight solely on this one symptom, but it certainly is a legitimate sign you need Vitamin D.
- Constipation – if you suffer from constipation odds are you have tried everything under the sun.
There are many other symptoms that are associated with Vitamin D deficiency – even if you are not considered clinically deficient you may be consuming inadequate amounts which will results in the manifestation of some signs and symptoms. A short list of these is provided below:
- Dry itchy skin
- Dry mouth and throat
- Osteoarthritis
- Cataracts
- General Fatigue
- Kidney disease
- Myopia (nearsightedness)
- Poor metabolism
- Celiac Sprue
- Rickets
It is important to have an understanding of where your Vitamin D levels are especially as it can fluctuate greatly depending upon seasonality, sun exposure and diet.