If you live in a place that transforms into arctic tundra for part of the year, you’ve probably been told you’re missing out on some valuable vitamin D. In fact, low vitamin d is quite common. But it can be hard to tell if you’re getting enough, and the signs are hard to spot.. So, we had the experts break down the signs of low vitamin D and solutions to get more throughout the year.
What is vitamin D?
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health (ODS). This means that it is stored in fat cells through dietary absorption or generated through sunlight on the skin, according to the ODS. Fat cells house the vitamin D you absorb from your diet until it’s time to send it to the liver and kidney to convert it into the usable hormone that the body sends throughout the body for important processes, says the ODS. When you absorb sunlight on your skin, the cholesterol compounds in your skin chemically react at the molecular level to create a usable form of vitamin D, which is then sent elsewhere, Keeley Berry, Bachelor of Sciencemolecular biologist, biomedical scientist and nutritional supplement chemist, he says.
But that it does? The answer is a lot. Remember those milk posters from the ’90s? (OK, maybe I’m dating myself a bit) You were always encouraged to drink milk for calcium and strong bones. Well, what really ensures strong bones is vitamin D. That’s because your body can only absorb calcium properly if vitamin D is present, according to the Mayo Clinic. It also plays an essential role in many other bodily functions, including cardiovascular health, neurological and immune function, Betsy fears RDN, CDa registered dietitian in the medical practice of nutrition and physical therapy RET Physiotherapy Group He says.
Everyone is different, and your vitamin D needs change based on your age and body size. The daily amount of vitamin D, according to the ODS, it is 400 international units (IU) for children up to 12 months old, 600 IU for people from 1 to 70 years old, and 800 IU for people over 70 years old. Fears recommends that people get about 10 to 30 minutes of sun exposure on their face, legs, and arms at midday to help their body synthesize vitamin D.
Signs that you are not getting enough vitamin D
Signs of vitamin D deficiency include tiredness, moodiness, poor bone and dental health, hair loss, low immunity, frequent colds and infections, according to Fears and Berry. The thing is that these are also signs. of common health conditions. Are not exclusive of a vitamin D deficiencysays Berry, so it’s easy to miss the scarcity.
Still, if other areas of your health needs are met, you should discuss your concerns with your doctor, says Fears. But nevertheless, there is no need to panic. signs like moodiness, fatigue, colds, and brittle bones may indicate that adding more vitamin D to your diet could help your overall health. These symptoms are not a guarantee that you are about to develop serious osteoporosis, says Fears.
So how can you get more
There are three ways to get more vitamin D, according to the ODS: through diet, sunlight, or supplementation. Excellent food sources include animal products like salmon, sardines, mackerel, red meat, liver, egg yolks, and foods like milk and breakfast cereals that claim to be fortified with vitamin D.” “Your diet is increasing, and this may limit the amount of vitamin D you can get from food,” explains Berry.
Supplementation is also an option, but you should first have your vitamin D levels tested by a health care provider, says Fears. Why? There is a possibility of having too much vitamin D, and because it is fat soluble, extra amounts of the nutrient are not excreted in the same way that extra vitamin C is excreted through urine.
The good news is that the amount of vitamin D you get from food and sunlight is unlikely to reach a toxic level, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. They go on to say that you shouldn’t take more than 4,000 IU unless you monitor it under your doctor’s supervision. Symptoms of too much vitamin D include weight loss, anorexia, irregular heartbeat, excessive calcium levels which can damage the kidneys, blood vessels, and heart.
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