Is Breathing Trouble a Symptom of a Vitamin D Deficiency?

Having trouble breathing isn't a normal symptom of vitamin D deficiency.
Image Credit: Kentaroo Tryman/Maskot/GettyImages

Vitamin D is well known for being an essential nutrient. Consuming vitamin D foods can help you maintain good muscle, nerve and bone health. Insufficient vitamin D is often associated with bone or muscle problems and sometimes correlates with respiratory issues.

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Trouble breathing isn't a typical symptom of vitamin D deficiency. However, there has been an association with low vitamin D and lung function problems, such as breathing difficulties or respiratory conditions.

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Vitamin D and Your Health

Vitamin D is very important for your health. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this fat-soluble nutrient helps:

  • Maintain good muscle, nerve and bone health.
  • Maintain immune system function.
  • Modulate cell growth.
  • Reduce inflammation.
  • Prevent certain health issues, like osteoporosis and rickets.

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Adults generally need to consume 15 micrograms of vitamin D each day. Older adults age 70 or older need a bit more: 20 micrograms per day.

You can get vitamin D from the sun, but most people also get it from vitamin D foods. These include mushrooms; fatty fish, like salmon, tuna and mackerel; and dairy products. Fortified dairy alternatives, like soy or almond milk, can also be healthy vitamin D foods.

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Unfortunately, many people don't consume enough vitamin D each day. The NIH says that older adults and people with malabsorption disorders, dark skin or limited sun exposure are at particular risk for vitamin D deficiency. People who don't consume milk or seafood products are also likely to have low levels of vitamin D.

Read more: Foods With High Vitamin D

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Vitamin D and Lung Function

Vitamin D deficiency is commonly associated with bone or muscle problems. Rickets, bone pain and muscle weakness are all common symptoms of this deficiency.

Read more: 9 Ways to Help Avoid Vitamin D Deficiency

However, insufficient amounts of this nutrient may also lead to other health problems, like fatigue or weight gain. According to a May 2014 study in the journal Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, vitamin D deficiency might even be associated with neurological issues, which range from conditions like schizophrenia and multiple sclerosis to restless leg syndrome.

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Recent studies have also found that there's an association between vitamin D deficiency, breathing difficulties and lung conditions. A January 2018 study published in the Resipirology Journal reports that low levels of vitamin D were associated with certain lung conditions, like asthma and bronchitis. Wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and vitamin D deficiency were associated, too.

Other studies, like an April 2013 study in the Journal of Endocrinological Investigation and a June 2018 study in BMC Pediatrics, report that there's also an association between vitamin D deficiency, breathing difficulties and sleep disorders. Vitamin D was specifically associated with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and other causes of sleep-disordered breathing.

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It's important to recognize that these conditions aren't exclusively caused by vitamin D deficiency. However, vitamin D deficiency has the potential to increase your risk or worsen these conditions.

In general, studies like the one published in the Respiratory Journal, have found that higher vitamin D serum levels correlate with higher levels of lung function. If you think that you might be vitamin D deficient or that getting more vitamin D could improve your breathing, talk to your doctor or dietitian. They can help you determine whether you're low on vitamin D and may even recommend a supplement.

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