A study published in "Archives of Internal Medicine" reveals that 77 percent of American teens and adults are deficient in Vitamin D. Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is one type of the vitamin that is easy to obtain from supplements and foods, such as tuna, sardines, eggs and shiitake mushrooms. Since there are vitamin D receptors in every organ of the body, a deficiency causes a number of seemingly unrelated symptoms.
Common Symptoms
The most common symptoms of a vitamin D3 deficiency include fatigue, depression, joint and muscle pain, frequent headaches, chronic pain throughout the body, restless sleep and poor concentration and memory. James Dowd, M.D., author of "The Vitamin D Cure," says other signs of low vitamin D3 include sugar cravings, chronic allergies, high blood pressure, unexplained weight gain, constipation or diarrhea and bladder problems such as urinary urgency and frequency.
Hindered Hormones
Vitamin D3 is unusual because it acts like a hormone. It is made from cholesterol and belongs to the same family as the hormones estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. C.W. Randolph, M.D., co-founder of the Natural Hormone Institute explains that vitamin D3 affects the production of these hormones and develops partnerships with them. If you have a vitamin D3 deficiency, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone production drops and these hormones cannot function properly. In women this can trigger symptoms such as low libido, breast tenderness, facial hair, vaginal dryness, belly-centric weight gain, severe PMS or severe hot flashes in those experiencing perimenopause or menopause. In men, this hormonal disruption can cause low libido, moodiness, an increase in body fat, gynecomastia and loss of muscle mass.
Diseases
A vitamin D3 deficiency creates chronic inflammation that has been linked with heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, gum disease, arthritis and related conditions of osteoarthritis, gout, tendinitis and bursitis, as well as autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and lupus. When vitamin D3 is low, it hinders the body's absorption and utilization of magnesium and calcium, triggering depression, seasonal affective disorder, fibromyalgia and osteoporosis. Current research also implicates a vitamin D3 deficiency in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and, to date, 17 cancers including breast, colon, pancreatic and prostate.
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