5 Signs That You May Be Vitamin D Deficient

For decades, little was heard about the importance of vitamin D, and many health professionals believed that it was only important for maintaining healthy teeth and bones.

However, advances in science in recent years have put this vitamin in the spotlight by highlighting its important functions in preventing and even treating some diseases.

André V. F. Franco, creator of Vitamin D? Brazil ? a non-profit project to educate people about the importance of vitamin D and sensible sun exposure? highlights that in 2010, a team of researchers from the University of Oxford, England, demonstrated how Vitamin D interacts with human DNA. ? They performed genetic sequencing creating a map for vitamin D receptors in the body, where they found that about 10% of the genome is influenced by it (vitamin D acts in the human body as a hormone, activating and deactivating genes) . They also demonstrated that vitamin D has a significant effect on the activity of 229 disease-linked genes, he explains.


Because of these findings, thousands of studies have investigated the potential role of vitamin D in preventing, even treating, many of today's diseases.

Vitamin D deficiency

Consequently, vitamin D deficiency became significantly associated with several problems, as highlighted by André Franco:

  • Chronic diseases such as autoimmune conditions such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes;
  • Various types of cancer;
  • Cardiovascular diseases;
  • Type 2 diabetes;
  • Neurological and psychiatric diseases;
  • Infectious diseases such as respiratory infections, pneumonia, otitis media, urinary tract infections, influenza, dengue, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, tuberculosis;
  • Adverse outcomes of pregnancy and childbirth;
  • Mortality in general.

Parallel to this, many studies have shown that about fifty percent of the world's population, due to modern lifestyle, suffers from its disability. With this information, you can get an idea of ​​the importance it has for the health of children and adults, and the consequences that their chronic disability can have ?, adds André Franco.


Symptoms Of Vitamin D Deficiency

André explains that in most people vitamin D deficiency is asymptomatic. However, some symptoms, such as those mentioned below, may be related to this problem:

  1. Fatigue without explanation
  2. Musculoskeletal pain
  3. Muscle weakness
  4. Joint pains
  5. Low resistance to infections

Therefore, if you have any of these symptoms, it is worthwhile to consult with a doctor and talk to him about it. The best way to find out vitamin D deficiency is to have a blood test that will measure your vitamin D level.

Important Guidelines for Increasing Vitamin D Levels

André Franco explains that conversion by the incidence of ultraviolet light B on the skin is the major source of vitamin D. "In fact the sun is responsible for about 90 percent of the vitamin D we need, the rest comes from the diet," he explains.


Regarding food, André cites good sources of the vitamin:

  • Fish such as salmon, tuna and sardines;
  • Mushrooms;
  • Milk and its derivatives.

But with regard to the sun, André Franco explains that, to ensure the production of vitamin D, sun exposure must occur at a time of incidence of UVB, which is equivalent to the strongest sun of the day. However, this exposure should be brief, ranging from 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the skin tone of the person. Should this still be done with as much exposed skin as possible? at least arms and legs ?, and without the use of sunscreen ?, highlights.

André also points out that older people have a harder time synthesizing vitamin D from sunlight. ? Obese, dark-skinned individuals, smokers or people who are deprived of daily sun exposure? for professional or other reasons? are at greater risk for vitamin D deficiency. For these cases supplementation should also be considered ?, concludes.

You now know the importance of vitamin D on our health. It is worth looking at some signs that may be related to her disability and, if necessary, talking to a trusted doctor about it.

Vitamin D | Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms (March 2024)


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