Vitamin D deficiency symptoms - and what to do about it.
What causes Vitamin D deficiency?
Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in the northern hemisphere. Your body makes vitamin D itself in response to exposure to sunlight, but there simply isn’t enough light in some places to ensure adequate production. In fact, vitamin D deficiency is so common that it is suggested that everybody living north of the equator take a vitamin D supplement.
Vitamin D is responsible for regulating a number of systems in the body, and without adequate intake your health will suffer. If your body fails to make the requisite amount of vitamin D, your immune system will be compromised and so too will your mental health, musculoskeletal health and the appearance of your skin, hair and nails. You might also begin to feel tired a lot of the time.
You are most at risk of vitamin D deficiency if you are naturally dark-skinned, are overweight, are vegetarian or vegan, or if your lifestyle means that you stay indoors a lot of the time. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to increased susceptibility to Covid-19, and also to increased mortality rate.
Many people don’t realise they are deficient until it is too late as the symptoms can be subtle. Read on to learn about some of the most common symptoms associated with Vitamin D deficiency, and if you’re worried that you’re not getting enough vitamin D then you should consider taking a daily supplement.
Deficiency symptom No. 1: You get sick more than average.
If you often find yourself under the weather, particularly with colds or flu, low vitamin D levels may be playing a role.
Calcium plays an important role in the activation of the immune system in response to the threat of illness or disease. The only way to effectively metabolise calcium in the body is to ensure adequate intake of vitamin D3 along with vitamin K2. The two vitamins work together to promote calcium absorption and to ensure that the requisite amount of the mineral reaches the white blood cells that steer the immune system. LYMA contains an optimised daily clinical dose of both MenaQ7® Matrix and Vita-Algae D3™, which work together to enhance your immune response.
Vitamin D deficiency has been specifically linked to an increased likelihood of contracting upper respiratory tract infections, of which Covid-19 is one. Other respiratory tract infections include colds, flu, pneumonia and bronchitis.
Several studies confirm that supplementing daily with 2,000 i.u. Vitamin D3, as formulated in LYMA, can dramatically reduce your susceptibility to respiratory tract infections.
LYMA also contains our Wellmune® Blend - a highly specialised 1,3 1,6 beta glucan that has been clinically proven to boost your innate, rapid fire immune system, priming white blood cells neutrophils and macrophages to engage with foreign pathogens.
Deficiency symptom No. 2: You suffer from low mood.
One theory as to why Vitamin D is often referred to colloquially as ‘The Sunshine Vitamin’ is because, like the sun, it perks you up and makes you feel happy!
Low Vitamin D levels have been linked with experiences of low mood, anxiety and depression. Clinical studies support this notion, showing that vitamin D plays an important role in mood regulation and can function as an antidepressant.
In one Norwegian study, researchers found that those people suffering with low mood and depression who started taking a daily Vitamin D supplement experienced an almost immediate improvement in their symptoms. They also reported greater happiness and life-satisfaction after a period of 30 days when compared with a control group.
Furthermore, supplementing with Vitamin D had an even more stark impact on elevating the mood of people who had been overweight or obese going into the study. Which brings us on to our next point.
Deficiency symptom No. 3: You gain weight easily.
Ever noticed how you get less hungry during the summer months? Or how on holiday you only need two meals a day and don’t suffer energy slumps that require snacking as a pick-me-up? Well this is because Vitamin D, according to one randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study published by Cambridge University Press, is associated with appetite suppression in adults.
Another study found that women who supplemented with Vitamin D over one year-long period lost weight faster than those in a placebo group when diet, exercise and other lifestyle factors were taken into account. The women in both the experimental group and the placebo group the study were put on identical calorie-restricted diets and prescribed an identical exercise regime, but those in the experimental group who supplemented with a clinical dose of Vitamin D each day intake lost an average of 7lbs (3.2kg) more than those in the placebo group. Results were even more stark when increased vitamin D intake was paired with a calcium supplement.
Losing weight can be an important part of regaining lost health and vitality: losing even just a few pounds can not only help to boost your immunity to a number of illnesses including - perhaps most pertinently in the current climate - Covid-19, but can also help to reduce disease markers for weight-related illness such as heart disease and type two diabetes.
Deficiency symptom No. 4: You have weak bones.
If you suffer from brittle bones, or pain in your joints, back or muscles, a vitamin D deficiency may well be to blame.
As mentioned, Vitamins D and K2 are required for the fundamental role they play in calcium metabolism: the vitamins work as a team to promote strong bones and healthy teeth, and to prevent brittleness from creeping in with age. Neither Vitamin D nor Vitamin K2 can work alone - they are totally interdependent when it comes to calcium uptake and regulation.
Vitamin D promotes absorption, and Vitamin K2 directs the calcium to where it needs to go: the bones, teeth and musculoskeletal system.
This list is by no means exhaustive: Vitamin D deficiency can result in all manner of ill-health. These are simply some of the most commonly reported symptoms but really, if you live in the northern hemisphere or have a job that means you spend a large proportion of the day indoors, then supplement you must.
In LYMA, Vita-Algae D3™ is formulated at an optimised and clinically proven dose of 2,000 i.u., as opposed to the 600 i.u. that is formulated in most generic supplements. When supplementing with LYMA you’re guaranteed to be obtaining the highest quality Vitamin D3 available, and in the perfect balance, and you can feel confident that you’re supporting your immune system from within.
If you’re concerned about a resurgence of coronavirus and want to know how to boost your immune system in anticipation, take a look at our guide to the best vitamins and supplements to take ahead of a potential second wave.
