Vitamin D, the "sunshine vitamin," is responsible for the regulation and absorption of calcium within your body, giving you healthy teeth, bones and balance of insulin and blood sugar. Dr. David Klein from the Pain Center of Orlando reports that vitamin D deficiency is a common condition. According to MayoClinic.com, adequate levels of vitamin D may reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis, high blood pressure, cancer and autoimmune disorders.
Chronic Muscle and Bone Pain
Symptoms of a lack of vitamin D may be mistaken for a chronic pain disorder. You may have muscle weakness, bone pain and overall fatigue. Your chronic tension headaches may be signs of a vitamin D deficiency. MayoClinic.com warns that severe deficits of vitamin D may lead to loss of bone mineral content and osteomalacia, or soft bones. You have a higher risk of experiencing a bone fracture when your vitamin D levels are lacking.
Emotional Changes
You may feel depressed or experience mood swings when your vitamin D levels are lacking. Dr. John Cannell, Executive Director of The Vitamin D Council, reports that vitamin D plays a role in brain biochemistry; for example, prenatal deficits of vitamin D lead to severe brain abnormalities in research animals. Laura Power, PhD, from the Allergy and Nutrition Clinic, warns that when your vitamin D level is low, you may exhibit signs of seasonal affective disorder, premenstrual syndrome or even substance abuse.
Immune Symptoms
Dr. Powers reports that vitamin D modulates immune function. Your vitamin D deficiency may be exhibited in an inflammatory or autoimmune disorder, such as chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel syndrome or an allergic condition. You may experience sleep disturbances with decreased vitamin D levels. In his 2004 article in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Michael Holick reports that vitamin D deficiencies are often misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia.
Metabolism and Weight Control
Insulin resistance and variations in weight loss and weight gain may be signs of vitamin D deficiency. Dr. Theodore C. Friedman reports that a genetic predisposition for hypothyroidism may be present in individuals with low levels of vitamin D. You may experience a loss of appetite with diminished vitamin D levels. Conversely, low levels of vitamin D have been associated with difficulty losing abdominal weight. Diminished vitamin D levels may interfere with your ability to lose weight even on a reduced-calorie diet.
References
- Pain Center of Orlando, Inc: Healthy Living Nutrient Overview
- MayoClinic.com: Vitamin D
- Allergy & Nutrition Clinic: Vitamin D - The Winter Deficiency
- Vitamin D Council: Vitamin D and Mental Illness
- The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Vitamin D: importance in the prevention of cancers, type 1 diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis
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