Vitamin-D Deficiency

Vitamin D is an extremely important vitamin for your skin and beauty, bones and strength, and overall health and immunity. However, an estimated one-billion people worldwide have a vitamin-D deficiency. It’s important to know what vitamin D is? How to discern if you’re are lacking this vital vitamin? And what you can do about it?

What is Vitamin-D?

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning it can travel into your blood circulation and be stored in your body’s tissues. It’s the only vitamin that can be produced in the body on its own, making it more of a hormone than a vitamin. It does so when your skin has direct sun exposure. It can also be found in some food sources as well as vitamin-D supplementation.

Once your body takes in vitamin D, chemical processes in your liver allow it to absorb into your blood. Your blood then directs it through your tissues and in your kidney. There, it turns into activated vitamin D (also known as calcitriol). In this activated form, it now supports the calcium supply and absorption by your blood, bones, and gut. It helps the cells in your body to grow and function properly. Here’s how vitamin D works in the body from any of the three sources.

How do you know if you have a Deficiency?

As vitamin D plays a pivotal role in your body, it’s important to ensure your body gets enough of it. However, a large percentage of people don’t. Even in sunshine locales like southern California, deficiency is prevalent due to the extensive use of and need for sunscreen. Also, anyone who doesn’t spend sufficient time in sunlight can have a vitamin-D deficiency. The recommended time varies due to a variety of factors. For instance, those with darker skin have a greater chance of being deficient because skin pigments act as natural sun protection. When sun exposure is simply not an option, natural food sources, vitamin D-fortified foods, and supplementation are options.

5 Signs You May Have a Vitamin D Deficiency

Because of the prevalence of vitamin-D deficiency and the role it plays in your body, it’s important to know the signs. If you think you might be missing out on vitamin D, connect with your doctor about getting tested for the next steps. Here are five signs that your body might have a vitamin-D deficiency.

1. Weak Bones or Muscles

Vitamin D has been most heavily researched for its connection to bone and muscle strength. It’s been found that vitamin-D deficiencies increase the risk of fractures in older adults. Vitamin D ensures the body is able to absorb calcium and phosphorus, critical elements to building strong bones. In a review of 12 fracture prevention trials with 40,000 elderly individuals, researchers found that high intakes of vitamin D supplementation (800 IU per day) reduced hip and non-spinal fractures by 20%. Muscle strength to prevent falls and fractures was greater in those with sufficient vitamin D.

2. Depression

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a mood disorder characterized by depression that usually occurs during winter. It’s related to the decrease in sunlight your body gets. Lack of sunlight can cause a drop in serotonin, our body’s chemical contributor to well-being and happiness. Studies have found that serotonin levels rise with exposure to bright light and fall with reduced exposure to light. However, the drop in mood doesn’t only relate to the drop in serotonin, it can also be due to the vitamin D your body is missing during winter months.

3. Poor Skin Health

Vitamin D plays an important role in protecting skin cell health, reducing wrinkles, improving skin softness, and maintaining a smooth, glowing complexion. At the same time, UV rays from extensive sun exposure can harm the health of your skin cells. In fact, they can be dangerous to your health. It’s important to be careful to find the right balance, and we’ll discuss more on this below.

Calcitriol, the activated form of vitamin D, is essential to skin cell growth, repair, and metabolism in the renewal process. As your skin cells are constantly dying, keratinocytes (which account for 95% of all the cells in your epidermis) are the center that keep your skin cells dividing and differentiating in order to constantly regenerate. This activity creates the structure of your skin that locks in moisture and keeps skin hydrated. Vitamin D is vital to keep this process running smoothly so your cells renew and your skin appears healthy and smooth.

4. Acne or Eczema

Part of this process extends to issues with acne or eczema when you have a vitamin-D deficiency. Because vitamin D is a hormone, a deficiency can likely have an effect on your other hormones. Thus, a hormone imbalance is possible. In addition, proper vitamin-D levels stimulate your T-cells to fight infection, including the acne bacteria. Vitamin D is also known to cool inflammation and control your insulin response. It’s helpful in reducing severe skin conditions such as acne or eczema.

One study on oral vitamin-D supplementation found the clinical improvement of patients with atopic dermatitis, aka eczema. Vitamin D may also impact cells in your body that that excrete oil, by producing proteins with antibacterial properties.

5. Weakened Immunity

A vitamin-D deficiency can play a role in autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), type-1 diabetes, or IBS. Vitamin D can also play a role in your body’s response to infectious diseases like the flu, common cold, or tuberculosis. Calcitriol is known to boost the immune cell production of microbe-fighting proteins. Researchers found that adults with low D levels were more likely to report having a recent cold, cough, or upper-respiratory infection.

Things You Should Do:

• Sun Exposure

Direct sun exposure makes the most sense for boosting your vitamin-D levels. However, there are a number of factors that can make this not a nonviable option. Winter months, cold climates, and busy workdays can make the daily recommended exposure to sun impossible. Even during summer, SPF greater than eight blocks the ability of your skin to absorb vitamin D3. Consequently, it can be difficult to get the sun nutrients without exposing yourself to the dangers of overexposure. The best way to prevent a vitamin-D deficiency is by getting it from direct sunlight.

• Food Sources

It’s possible to get vitamin D from food sources, though it can be difficult to get your recommended levels. Fish is an especially helpful supply, particularly wild, low-mercury salmon and mackerel. In addition, mushrooms grown with exposure to UV light (versus the many mushrooms grown in the dark which would not provide vitamin D) are also a good food source.