Vitamin D Shortage And Tired

Stress, long hours at work and poor sleep can conspire to make anyone tired at times, but diet and nutrition may also play a role. Vitamin D is important for several functions in your body, and evidence has linked a vitamin D deficiency to various health problems, including fatigue. If you find yourself turning to caffeine and other stimulants to get through your day, you might try getting more of this "sunshine vitamin" instead.

Significance

Vitamin D can be found in small amounts in foods such as dairy and fish, and it's also added to cereals, juice and supplements. The best source, however, is sunshine, which helps your body synthesize vitamin D when ultraviolet rays penetrate your skin. The increased use of sunscreens and less time spent outdoors can help contribute to a vitamin D deficiency, as can malabsorption diseases. The Vitamin D Council reported that vitamin D deficiency is a worldwide epidemic, with more than 50 percent of the global population at risk.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a debilitating condition that frequently follows a traumatic brain injury, or TBI. A study presented at the European Congress of Endocrinology in April 2010 found that vitamin D deficiency was present in 65 percent of TBI patients, with patients suffering from fatigue more likely to be vitamin D deficient. In 2004, Michael F. Holick, M.D., of the Boston University School of Medicine, conducted a review of all vitamin D studies, which was published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." He concluded that many people diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia --- a disorder that causes pain and fatigue --- are actually vitamin D deficient.

General Fatigue

A total of 572 patients from around the world were enrolled in a study in Oslo, Norway, to investigate vitamin D levels in patients who had non-specific musculoskeletal pain, headache and fatigue. The results, published in September 2010 in the "Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care," found that vitamin D deficiency was present in 58 percent of the patients on average and up to 83 percent in patients from the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.

Dosing Recommendations

The Adequate Intake, or AI, established by the U.S. Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, is 200 international units, or IU, for adults under age 50, 400 IU up to age 70 and 600 IU thereafter. The Vitamin D Council notes that your body utilizes 3,000 to 5,000 IU of vitamin D per day for healthy functioning and recommends adults and adolescents get at least 5,000 IU daily.

Considerations

Check with your doctor before adding vitamin D supplements to your diet, since excess vitamin D of 10,000 to 40,000 IU per day may cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, constipation, weakness and weight loss. High levels can also raise calcium levels in the blood and lead to mental confusion, kidney stones or heart rhythm abnormalities. Very high doses can damage your heart, blood vessels and kidneys.