What happens to your body if you don't get enough vitamin D, say doctors

This common deficiency can cause a wide range of health problems.


Regarding most nutrients, it is possible to get everything you need by eating a wide variety of whole food - but vitamin D is a rare exception to the rule. Although experts recommend that adults are targeting 600 IU of vitamin daily , it is only found in a narrow selection of foods such as fatty fish, eggs, mushrooms and Fortified milks and cereals , which makes it difficult to reach the recommended quantity through the diet. Instead, most people get it through direct exposure to the skin in the natural sun, or through supplements . However, many people are still struggling to obtain enough vitamin D on a daily basis.

In fact, a largely quoted study of 2011 published in the journal Nutrition research reports that 42% of adults in the United States Vitamin D - And although this is a common problem, the consequences can be disturbing. Read the rest to find out what happens to your body if you don't get enough vitamin D, and how a method for getting your vitamin D can seriously turn out without worry if you are not careful.

Read this then: Do not buy supplements under these brand names, the FDA says in a new warning .

You can develop muscle cramps.

woman rubbing her legs
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One of the most common symptoms of vitamin D deficiency is to have muscle cramps or muscle weakness. "A lack of vitamin D can cause loss of muscle mass and strength, resulting in muscle weakness. Indeed Denise Pate , MD, doctor and medical director certified by the board of directors with Manhattan medical offices . AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

Erika Aragona , MD, certified family medicine doctor and Well-being expert for Bioshell , recount Better life This is due to the fact that vitamin is essential for your body to absorb calcium and phosphorus. "If your calcium level falls, your body can try to compensate by making another gland, your parathyroid, increase its function in attempts to balance the low calcium," she said. "When these levels are abnormal and your body notices chronic levels of calcium and high parathyroid hormones, you can feel several symptoms, but without limiting yourself, muscle cramps and muscle weakness." In the end, this can lead to an increased incidence of falling injury, especially in the elderly, adds Pate.

Read this then: Taking this supplement can reduce your pain in half, say the experts .

Your bones can weaken.

man with broken arm
J.AMPHON / Shutterstock

Having vitamin D deficiency can also harm your bone health , say the two doctors. "A weakening of the bones, which can cause osteoporosis and increased risk of fractures, is one of the most typical symptoms of the insufficiency of vitamin D," explains Pate.

Aragona says it happens because when vitamin D is low and calcium is not also absorbed in your body, this can worsen your bone mineralization. Although a deficiency can affect your bone health at any age, children are sensitive to the most serious results. "When children do not have enough vitamin D, they can have poor development of their bones and this can cause deformations in their bone structure," notes Aragona.

You can be more at risk of depression.

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Aragona says that those who have a deficiency of this particular vitamin can be more at risk of depression, although it notes that studies suggesting that much have ceased to establish causality. "A direct link is not yet known, but several different theories exist Eat well -balanced meals that contain enough vitamin D."

"Another theory is that low vitamin D causes poor absorption of many more nutrients than calcium, and as malnutrition increases, mood disorders can also increase," she adds.

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You may be more at risk of certain diseases.

Female doctor looking at test results of her patient. Breast examination. Mammogram. Health care concept, medical insurance. Womens health.
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In addition to being crucial to help you maintain healthy bones, muscles and teeth, Pate stresses that having vitamin D deficiency is linked to several chronic diseases. In particular, a 2017 study published in the medical journal Aging and illness have found that the insufficiency of vitamin D plays a role in the development and progression of Several chronic diseases , like cardiovascular disease, diabetes and certain cancers.

Your immune system can also suffer, says Pate. "Vitamin D is essential to regulate the immune system and promote immune function.

However, doctors warn against this only error.

doctor talking and explaining test result and diagnosis to demoralized elderly patient in hospital hallway
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When you expose your skin to the sun, your body is capable of make your own vitamin D . "We each have vitamin D receptor cells which, thanks to a chain of reactions starting with the conversion of cholesterol in the skin, produce vitamin D3 when exposed to ultraviolet B (UVB) of the sun" , explained the dermatologist David J. Leffell , MD, chief of dermatological surgery while speaking with Yale Medicine. However, this represents a serious dermatological threat, since One in five American Develop skin cancer during their lifetime and more than a million Americans live with melanoma, a potentially fatal form of skin cancer.

Aragona is appropriate that too many people endanger their health by tanning in the name of vitamin D. "Remember that tanning beds and solar lamps are not advised as a good source to get your vitamin D, and with The alarming number of skin cancer diagnostics, worldwide, maximizing your sun exposure to increase your vitamin D is not the best way to advise doctors that you get good vitamin D ", explains Aragona. Instead, it recommends maximizing your consumption of nutrients rich in nutrients and talking to your doctor to know if the supplements could suit you.

Best Life offers the most up -to -date information for high -level experts, new research and health agencies, but our content is not supposed to replace professional advice. If you have specific questions or concerns, always consult your health care provider directly.


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