94% of Canadian adults have an inadequate intake of vitamin D1, are you one of them? In this article, we'll explore 17 signs of vitamin d deficiency and how it may be affecting your health.
What is Vitamin D?
Vitamin D, also known as the sunshine vitamin, is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps promote calcium absorption, supports bone health and immune function.
For more information on Vitamin D, check out our Vitamin D 101 article.
Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms
Vitamin D deficiency can present in many ways including weight, hormonal and skin health changes, digestive issues, osteoporosis, and more. Check with your doctor to learn about the role vitamin D can play on your overall health and well-being.
1. Obesity
Being overweight is linked to lower levels of vitamin D.1 Although the link between the two isn’t as clear cut, there are a few theories like fat sequestration. Because vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, the more fat cells there are means the more vitamin D that is stored, ultimately leading to less vitamin D available for the body to use.1
2. Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS)
Not feeling like yourself a few days before your period? PMS is usually the culprit, but you can add low vitamin D levels to the list. Studies show low levels of vitamin D and calcium during the 2nd phase of the menstrual cycle were found to cause or worsen the symptoms of PMS.2
3. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
This condition is characterized by chronic inflammation of the gut. As more research is done on this disease, it’s becoming a well-known fact that vitamin D and its immune-supporting properties play an important role in easing IBD.3
4. Hair loss
Your mane may need some vitamin D as research points to the possibility that can play a role in stress-induced hair loss.4
5. Insulin resistance
Insulin resistance is a condition characterized by reduced responsiveness of the body's cells to the blood sugar-regulating hormone, insulin, and prequel to type 2 diabetes. As more work is being done to uncover why cells become resistant to insulin, vitamin D deficiency has been found to increase it.5
6. Eczema
Eczema is a chronic, inflammatory skin condition that can occur anywhere on the body. Moisturizers and anti-inflammatory actions are necessary to keep the skin cool, calm, and collected, but vitamin D supplementation can be added to the list of possible treatments. Since it supports the immune system and the immune system rules inflammation, vitamin D supplementation has shown to be beneficial in children who experience eczema, especially in the winter months.6
7. Gum Disease and Tooth Loss
This might be a surprise, but vitamin D and oral health go hand in hand. Vitamin D helps with the absorption of calcium, an essential mineral for teeth. Studies also show deficiencies in vitamin D are associated with dental cavities.7
8. Memory Loss
If you always forget where you put your keys, your vitamin D levels could be low, since it influences brain health.8 It’s especially important for older individuals to keep their vitamin D levels at optimal levels as a deficiency is linked with accelerated cognitive decline.8
9. Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)
It’s a well-known fact that vitamin D is protective of infections and the same goes for those of the urinary tract. One in five women, between the ages of 18-24 years old experience a UTI each year.9 For those women who experience recurrent UTIs, increasing vitamin D levels could help. Studies show that the link between low vitamin D levels and increased UTIs could have something to do with vitamin D’s infection-fighting capabilities.9
10. Asthma
Asthma, inflammation of the lung’s lining, can be exacerbated by many reasons like pollution, allergies, and even low vitamin D levels. Studies have found that those whose asthma is exacerbated often could be due to low vitamin D levels.10 Although the reason isn’t well established, it’s thought that vitamin D’s immunomodulatory effect has something to do with the association.10
11. Poor Pelvic Health
Optimal pelvic floor requires healthy bones, muscles, and nerves, so it makes sense that research is just now starting to find associations between poor pelvic floor health and vitamin D deficiency.11
12. Mood Swings
Winter months are synonymous with low mood, aka the winter blues. And science is just catching up to the reason why – it has to do with vitamin D. Having low levels of vitamin D, which commonly occurs during the winter, is linked with negative emotions like low mood. Studies have found that supplementation not only prevents deficiencies but can also improve these emotions.
13. Digestive Issues
Not only does vitamin D help with gut inflammation (see #3 to learn more) but it also influences the gut microbiome. Studies show that vitamin D influences how gut bacteria function, how much antimicrobial activity occurs in the gut, and how it protects the gut lining.13
14. Immune Impairment
Maybe not a lesser-known fact, but vitamin D influences the immune system greatly. But let’s understand
15. Excessive Sweating
Not only have vitamin D receptors been found on immune cells, researchers have also located them in sweat glands.15 This could explain why research has found that low vitamin D levels are associated with excessive sweating.16
16. Osteoporosis
One major role of vitamin D is to absorb calcium from the gut, ensuring that it’s ready to be used by bones to remain strong. Low vitamin D levels mean less calcium is available for bone health AND muscle weakness, which leads to weaker bones and an increased risk of falls and fractures.17
Osteoporosis is considered to be a “silent killer” because it can occur over time and most people don’t know until a bone breaks, so it’s important to consider bone-supporting vitamins like vitamin D early on.
17. Childhood Language Impairment
We know how a mom’s vitamin D level can influence a fetus, and research is now starting to understand how it can influence a child’s language development. Researchers found that moms with low levels of vitamin D were more likely to have a child with language impairment.18 Even more reason to take vitamin D during pregnancy!
How Can You Get More Vitamin D?
There are few food sources of vitamin D and your body can only produce it naturally through sun exposure. It's challenging to get enough through diet or sun exposure alone, especially in winter months. That's where a supplement can help.
Best Vitamin D Supplements
Health Canada recommends 400 IU of vitamin D per day for Canadians ages 2 years and older. Eating foods containing vitamin D is ideal, but not always practical.
If you want to supplement with vitamin D3, here are some affordable and convenient one-per-day solutions:
- For babies and children under 3 years: Jamieson Baby-D3 Drops offer 400 IU of vitamin D in an easy-to-use liquid drop format
- For kids 3 years and older: Jamieson Kids Vitamin D3 Chewables provide 400 IU of vitamin d in a tasty, kid-friendly strawberry-flavour chew
- For adults: Jamieson Vitamin D3 400 IU provides 400 IU in an easy-to-swallow tablet
- For adults wanting extra support: Jamieson Vitamin D3 2,500 IU provides a max-potency dose of vitamin D to help prevent deficiency
Explore all Jamieson Vitamin D3 supplements.
Always consult with your healthcare practitioner before taking any new vitamin or supplement.
