Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms – Why You Should Never Ignore Feeling Tired All the Time

Maintaining normal vitamin D levels is essential to a healthy lifestyle, but vitamin D deficiency can lead to a particularly dangerous symptom

It’s Sun Awareness Week and people are getting more vitamin D thanks to the sunshine and bright skies.

Trying to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle can seem difficult, but making sure you have enough vitamin D can make all the difference.

It can help protect you from a cold and even give you more energy.

This last point is one of the most important because it is often the most overlooked. Many may not even realize how tired they are each day, or even think it’s normal.

However, prolonged and persistent fatigue is often the cause of vitamin D deficiency.

In the long term, this symptom can interfere with your daily life, making it dangerous to drive and engage in normal activities. The NHS has tips on how to make sure you don’t get a shortage.

What is vitamin D?

Vitamin D helps regulate the levels of calcium and phosphate in the body, essential nutrients to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy

The government advises the public to take a daily vitamin D supplement during the fall and winter months.

This is because in the UK, vitamin D is far less likely to be naturally absorbed from the sun.

However, by late March through early September, most people should be able to make enough vitamin D naturally.

Why Does Vitamin D Deficiency Cause Fatigue?

Low vitamin D levels lead to bone abnormalities that directly lead to reduced muscle growth and strength.

This affects skeletal muscle function via vitamin D receptors.

Essentially, low vitamin D levels cause bone problems, weakened muscle strength, and reduced function throughout the body.

The results make you tire faster, even with simple tasks.

How Much Vitamin D Should You Take?

Vitamin D intake is calculated in micrograms and is sometimes written using the Greek symbol μ followed by the letter g (μg).

Be sure to check how the amount of vitamin D is stated on the labels, as it can vary.

Typically, the amount of vitamin D is expressed in International Units (IU).

1 microgram of vitamin D corresponds to 40 IU. 10 micrograms of vitamin D therefore correspond to 400 IU.

As stated on the NHS website: “Children aged 1 and over and adults need 10 micrograms of vitamin D per day. This includes pregnant and breastfeeding women and those at risk of vitamin D deficiency.

“Babies up to the age of 1 year need 8.5 to 10 micrograms of vitamin D every day. A microgram is 1,000 times smaller than a milligram (mg).”

What are good sources of vitamin D?

Aside from taking supplements to get that extra vitamin D, there are many natural ways to increase your consumption.

As stated on the NHS website, these include:

• fatty fish – such as salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel
• Red meat
• liver
• egg yolk
• fortified foods – like some fat spreads and breakfast cereals

Cow’s milk is not a good source of vitamin D in the UK as it is not usually fortified.

If you think you may be vitamin D deficient, be sure to consult your GP.