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Low Vitamin D Can Cause These Surprising Symptoms PhotoAlto\/Frederic Cirou – Getty Images<\/p>\n
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Vitamin D<\/a> is one of those nutrients that does a lot behind the scenes. It supports healthy aging<\/a>, helps keep your bones strong, and aids your immune system. But many people aren’t getting enough of it. Experts shared the unexpected symptoms linked to low vitamin D that you should keep an eye out for.<\/p>\n Research<\/a> suggests that about half the global population isn’t getting enough vitamin D. Most people are asymptomatic, but there are some tells that could point to a vitamin D deficiency. We tapped experts to tell us about the symptoms of low vitamin D and how to get more of this essential nutrient in your diet.<\/p>\n Symptoms<\/p>\n \u201cStudies have suggested links between vitamin D deficiency and certain health problems, including depression<\/a>, fractures<\/a>, diabetes<\/a>, heart disease<\/a>, cancer<\/a> and infection<\/a>,\u201d says Nguyen. However, \u201cthe majority of patients are asymptomatic.\u201d According to Cleveland Clinic<\/a>, these symptoms could be signs of vitamin D deficiency in adults:<\/p>\n Children with a vitamin D deficiency may experience:<\/p>\n Incorrect growth patterns<\/p>\n Causes<\/p>\n Vitamin D deficiency<\/a> can be caused by a variety of different things. Here are some potential culprits:<\/p>\n A lack of foods that contain vitamin D in one\u2019s diet<\/p>\n Low synthesis of vitamin D from ultraviolet rays<\/p>\n Conditions that make it difficult for the body to absorb vitamin D (such as small bowel disease or pancreatic insufficiency)<\/p>\n Conditions that make it difficult for the body to convert certain compounds into the active form of vitamin D (like cirrhosis)<\/p>\n Medications that make it difficult for the body to absorb or convert vitamin D (including some used to treat seizures, high cholesterol and weight loss)<\/p>\n Risk factors<\/p>\n People are more likely to develop a vitamin D deficiency if they:<\/p>\n Don\u2019t get much sun (or are diligent about sun protection)<\/p>\n Have a condition that makes it difficult to absorb nutrients (including Crohn\u2019s disease, celiac disease or a history of bypass surgery)<\/p>\n Have a condition that makes it difficult to synthesize vitamin D (such as liver or kidney problems)<\/p>\n Diagnosis<\/p>\n A simple blood test can measure the amount of 25-hydroxyvitamin D you have circulating in your body. \u201cHowever, the Endocrine Society<\/a> no longer endorses specific levels to define vitamin D sufficiency, insufficiency and deficiency due to lack of defined levels and outcomes,\u201d says Nguyen. \u201cRoutine testing is not necessary for everyone and is reserved for those who are at high risk for deficiency.\u201d If you think you\u2019re at risk, mention it to your doctor.<\/p>\n Treatment<\/p>\n \u201cManagement of vitamin D deficiency depends on individual factors but typically involves a combination of food and supplements because most patients do not get enough vitamin D from food or sun exposure alone,\u201d says Nguyen. If you suspect you could benefit from a boost of vitamin D, consult with your doctor before you start taking a supplement.<\/p>\n Vitamin D3 $20.99 at amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n Vitamin D3 Softgels $6.49 at amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n Vitamin D3 $10.98 at amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n Extra Strength Vitamin D3 Softgels $0.01 at walmart.com<\/a><\/p>\n Vitamin D-3 $7.33 at amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n Adults 1000IU 365 Drops $21.98 at amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n Other FAQsWhen is the best time to take vitamin D?<\/p>\n Since vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, it\u2019s best to take it with food<\/a>, so the fat in the food can make it easier for your body to absorb. You might also want to take it with calcium or foods that contain calcium because \u201cvitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, and they are frequently taken together to help build and maintain muscle and bone health,\u201d says Nguyen.<\/p>\n How much vitamin D should you take?<\/p>\n The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)<\/a> for healthy people age1 to 70 years old is 15 mcg (600 IU) per day. For infants, the RDA is 10 mcg (400 IU) and for people older than 70, it\u2019s 20 mcg (800 IU) daily. Of course, before you pop a pill, you have to consider how much vitamin D you\u2019re already getting from the food you eat. For instance, if you\u2019re already getting 10 mcg from your diet, then you might only need to supplement 5 mcg. As with any supplement, it\u2019s best to ask your doctor and follow their recommendation.<\/p>\n Can you take too much vitamin D?<\/p>\n Yes! High levels of vitamin D can lead to nausea, vomiting, low appetite, constipation, weakness and weight loss while \u201cvery\u201d high levels can damage kidneys, cause confusion and trigger an irregular heartbeat.<\/p>\n What are the best food sources of vitamin D?<\/p>\n \u201cVery few foods naturally contain vitamin D<\/a>,\u201d says Nguyen. That\u2019s why people often need to lean on supplements to get enough in their bodies. However, oily fish (such as salmon, mackerel and herrings) and dairy products fortified with vitamin D are dietary sources, according to Nguyen. Mushrooms, eggs and fortified cereal and soy drinks are good options as well.<\/p>\n Can you get vitamin D from sun exposure?<\/p>\n Yes, when skin is exposed to ultraviolet rays it triggers the body to begin a process that creates vitamin D<\/a>, but it\u2019s not a good idea to depend on the sun for your supply of the vitamin. \u201cRelying exclusively on sunshine exposure to meet vitamin D needs is not advisable due to unreliability and potential harm,\u201d says Nguyen. For starters, research<\/a> has found that people with darker skin produce less vitamin D from sunlight and then \u201cfactors such as season, latitude, skin pigmentation and sunscreen can limit vitamin D production,\u201d says Nguyen. And if you choose to forgo sunscreen, data<\/a> shows that \u201cexcessive unprotected sun exposure can lead to wrinkles and sunspots and increase risk for skin cancer,\u201d adds Nguyen.<\/p>\n You Might Also Like<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Low Vitamin D Can Cause These Surprising Symptoms PhotoAlto\/Frederic Cirou – Getty Images “Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":235407,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[103,61,60,446,3350,10565],"class_list":{"0":"post-247082","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-ie","10":"tag-ireland","11":"tag-nutrition","12":"tag-vitamin-d","13":"tag-vitamin-d-deficiency"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/247082","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=247082"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/247082\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/235407"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=247082"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=247082"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=247082"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/7beb3137aab86874e86e7eb3c66b7b0c.jpeg\"\/)
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