Most people experience muscle cramps at some point in their lives. Muscle cramps commonly affect the calf, front or back of your thigh or arms. There are a number of causes of muscle cramps such as fatigue or dehydration. However, muscle cramps may also indicate an underlying vitamin D deficiency.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin essential to health. Your body naturally makes vitamin D when exposed to the sun; in addition, you can get vitamin D from food sources or vitamin supplements. As little as 10 minutes of sun per day will help you meet your vitamin D requirements, according to the Mayo Clinic. However, darker-skinned and older individuals synthesize less vitamin D from sun exposure, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. This may contribute to vitamin D deficiency.
Leg Cramps
Leg cramps are painful involuntary muscle contractions in one or more of your muscles. These can last from a few seconds to as long as 15 minutes. Muscle cramps make it temporarily impossible to use the affected muscle. Inadequate vitamin D interferes with your ability to absorb calcium from your diet and results in calcium depletion from your bones. A deficiency in vitamin D and calcium can cause your nerves to misfire. This results in unpredictable muscle contractions, according to "The Merck Manual."
Research
Unexplained muscle cramps and pain can occur in both adults and young women with low sun exposure due to covering their skin completely for religious reasons. In a study comparing veiled Arab women and veiled Muslim women in Denmark with unveiled women, muscle pain and weakness were signs of vitamin D deficiency, in a study reported by H. Glerup and colleagues published in the December 2001 issue of "Journal of Internal Medicine."
Recommended Intake
Most multivitamins contain only 10 mcg of vitamin D, less then the recommended daily intake. Until age 70 the daily vitamin D requirement is 15 mcg; after this age it increases to 20 mcg, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. Other non-sunlight sources of vitamin D include pink salmon, sardines, oatmeal and fortified cereal and milk. Vitamin D content will vary in store-bought fortified foods products, so always read the nutrition information label.
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