vitamin D is a powerful nutrient that has several important functions in your body it helps promote a healthy immune system and facilitates the absorption of calcium which is important for maintaining strong and healthy bones unfortunately it has been estimated that nearly half of the adult population is not getting enough vitamin D also known as having a vitamin D deficiency to make matters worse over time a vitamin D deficiency can lead to many different health problems including heart disease diabetes immune system disorders and even types of cancer the first step in preventing a vitamin D deficiency
from occurring is being able to recognize the most common signs and symptoms in this video we will cover eight warning signs that could be your body's way of telling you it needs more vitamin D number one being sick more often than normal being sick more often than normal is one of the most common signs of a vitamin D deficiency because vitamin D plays an important role in strengthening your body's immune system in fact every single cell in the human body has a receptor for vitamin D so if you aren't getting enough of this vitamin it
puts you at a higher risk of developing a respiratory infection you may even suffer from more common colds than you have in the past as well number two muscle spasms and muscle pain muscle spasms and muscle pain are two of the most common symptoms of vitamin D deficiency every cell in the human body has receptors for vitamin D this includes the nerve cells that are responsible for sensing pain as well this defic efficiency can cause muscle cramps but it's not just about muscle pain it can also result in weakness and even paralysis in fact vitamin
D deficiency has been linked to Multiple Sclerosis which affects the brain and spinal cord by causing inflammation and nerve damage multiple sclerosis is strongly tied to experiencing muscle weakness and even pain several studies show that people with low vitamin D levels are more likely to develop multiple sclerosis than those with normal levels of this nutrient so to Main main healthy muscles vitamin D is essential number three slow wound healing if you have a wound that is taking much longer to heal than normal this could be caused by a vitamin D deficiency vitamin D plays a
key role in helping the body process keratin which is a protein that is vital to the health of our skin some doctors believe that when vitamin D is lacking our body is unable to produce new healthy skin which leads to much slower wound healing than normal number four reduced cognitive function vitamin D's biologically active form has been shown to have neuroprotective effects this means that the vitamin actually helps in the preservation of nerve function which is very important for your brain to work properly research strongly suggests that a deficiency of this vitamin is a significant
factor in reduced cognitive ability in fact there are clear indications that low levels of vitamin D are connected to dementia as well as Alzheimer's furthermore adults with serious vitamin D deficiencies are four times more likely to suffer impaired cognitive function number five weakened bones many people are unaware that vitamin D is closely tied to calcium absorption vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium from the intestine which is used to maintain strong bones and teeth when there's not enough vitamin D your body cannot absorb enough calcium from food or supplements as a result it pulls calcium
from the bones causing them to become brittle and weak this also means that people who have a long-term vitamin D deficiency also tend to lose more bone mass over time this loss of bone mass can cause pain and lead to substantial Mobility problems bone weakness is also one of the primary causes of chronic lower back pain in adults in fact doctors have noticed a significant connection between complaints about chronic lower back pain and those with a vitamin D deficiency Studies have also found that people who suffer from arthritis and chronic pain conditions are also more
likely to be vitamin D deficient than their peers who do not suffer from these conditions number six fatigue life can be very busy and most of us normalize feeling tired pretty much all the time but what people don't know is that this feeling of fatigue can be caused by vitamin D deficiency vitamin D deficiency affects the bones muscles and the entire body as a whole which is the main reason why it can lead to extreme fatigue or exhaustion this symptom could present itself as daytime fatigue for an otherwise healthy person or extreme exhaustion in someone
with chronic disease or autoimmunity several Studies have shown that individuals who suffer from vitamin D deficiency are more likely to complain about being tired than those who don't thankfully this symptom usually goes away when vitamin D supplementation is introduced number seven depression if you have increased feelings of depression this could definitely be a sign that your body isn't getting enough vitamin D not all doctors agree that vitamin D deficiency can cause increased feelings of depression however there is strong evidence that not getting enough of this vitamin can have a substantial impact on your mood Studies
have shown that vitamin D supplementation decreases depression in adults especially those who suffer from seasonal depression in the fall and winter months this makes sense because vitamin D levels are closely linked to sun exposure Vitamin D supplements are also widely used in assisted living and nursing care facilities to boost mood in older patients who aren't able to spend much time Outdoors number eight poor vision vitamin D deficiency may lead to to poor vision because it affects your ey's ability to respond properly to light changes so if you're deficient in this nutrient your pupils won't constrict
properly when you enter a dark room this makes your eyes more likely to become sensitive to harsh light conditions normal levels of vitamin D are necessary to maintain healing in the cornea of the eye promoting clearer vision some research shows a connection between lower vitamin D levels and a higher risk of age related macular degeneration which is the leading cause of blindness in the elderly recent studies found that people with low levels of vitamin D had nearly twice the odds of having poor vision in fact poor vision was present in one out of five people
with low vitamin D levels number nine mouth ulcers the mouth is another area to monitor if you suspect you are deficient in vitamin D A deficiency in vitamin D can manifest in the form of mouth ulcers commonly known as canker sores mouth ulcers are small sores that develop on the inside or outside of your mouth they're usually painful red or white patches that can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks if you maintain good dental hygiene and you still suffer from mouth ulcers the best you can do is check your vitamin D levels
while vitamin D deficiency is a common issue worldwide there are some factors that can lead to an even greater risk of having low vitamin D levels as you already know the body produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight this means that you are at risk of having low levels if you spend too much time indoors live in extreme Northern or Southern latitudes or wear unnecessarily concealing clothing nevertheless if you suspect that you may be lacking vitamin D it's important to get your blood levels checked the good news is that a vitamin D deficiency is usually
easy to fix you can expose yourself to sunlight more often include more foods rich in vitamin D in your diet such as fatty fish or fortified foods like cereal by being aware of the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency you may become more aware of the role that vitamin D plays in your overall health and once you realize that it is easier to make the necessary adjustments to your diet and lifestyle to get the nutrients and sun exposure needed for normal vitamin D levels however if you're experiencing some or all of the symptoms on this list
it may be time for you to schedule a quick blood test to see if you're suffering from vitamin D deficiency if you found this video helpful don't forget to like And subscribe to the channel you can also encourage others to take care of their vitamin D by sharing the video see you next time time [Music]
