Top 6 Health Risks Associated with Vitamin D Deficiency and How to Increase Your Vitamin D Levels

Did you know that over 35% of Americans are deficient in Vitamin D?

Vitamin D, also known as 'the sunshine vitamin' is produced on your skin in response to being exposed to the sunlight. With changing weather conditions, getting sufficient vitamin D is not easy, especially during the fall and winter seasons. In fact, Vitamin D deficiency has become one of the most common health problems. Vitamin D is essential for strong bones, by regulating the intake of calcium and phosphorus in your body. With subtle symptoms, it's hard for people to realize that they may have this Vitamin deficiency. And that's why we have curated a detailed guide to help you understand the symptoms, causes and health risks associated with the deficiency. 

Importance of Vitamin D in Your Body

While Vitamin D has multiple health benefits, these are the most important reasons why you should continue to monitor the Vitamin D levels in your body. 

• Healthy bones and teeth
• Support immune, brain and nervous system
• Regulates your level of insulin and reduces the risk of diabetes
• Reduces the risk of lung infections and protect cardiovascular health
• Reduces the risk of colon, prostate, and breast cancers

What are the Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency? 

So, how do you know if you are deficient in Vitamin D? With subtle symptoms, most people are unable to figure it out themselves. Here are some of the signs and symptoms you need to watch out for: 

• Vitamin D is crucial to strengthen your immune systems. If you fall sick often, you may be running low on Vitamin D
• Have you been tired and weak lately? Excessive fatigue and tiredness are key symptoms of vitamin D deficiency
• Complaining about bone pain and lower back pain? It could be because of the deficiency
• Low blood levels and depression can be caused due to low vitamin D levels
• After surgery, injury or infection, your body must be able to heal quickly and control inflammation. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to poor wound healing
• Do your muscles regularly feel weaker? Or, have you been cramping? It could be an indication of low levels of Vitamin D. 

The truth is that Vitamin D deficiency has become a common concern and most people are unaware of the deficiency. Besides exposure to the sun, taking the right supplements can be beneficial to avoid Vitamin D deficiency.

What are the Causes of Low Vitamin D Levels? 

From depression to impaired wound healing, Vitamin D deficiency can lead to several health risks. If you are an adult, aged between 19 to 70years, you'll need at least 600 IU (International units) to maintain a healthy lifestyle. While there are several reasons that could cause low levels of Vitamin D, the most common ones are listed below: 

• Food consumed may not contain the recommended levels of the vitamin D
• Limited exposure to the sun
• The inability of your kidney to convert Vitamin D into its active form
• Absorption of Vitamin D from the blood by fatty cells in obese people
• Certain medications limit the ability of your body to absorb Vitamin D
• Having dark skin

Health Risks Associated with Vitamin D Deficiency

Believe it or not, Vitamin D is connected with several health problems that we tend to overlook. Here are the top 6 health risks associated with Vitamin D deficiency: 

1. Diabetes: Vitamin D is a crucial component for your body to be able to balance sugar levels in the blood. It regulates the secretion of insulin and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes. 
2. Hypertension: Several recent research has established the correlation between the lack of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and hypertension. 
3. Fatal cardiovascular risk: Studies have determined that people with low levels of Vitamin D were nearly three times more likely to have heart failure. 
4. Lupus: This chronic inflammatory disease is associated with a lack of Vitamin D deficiency. 
5. Alopecia Areata: Lower levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D can cause pattern hair loss in women, an auto-immune disease
6. Osteoporosis: Inadequate Vitamin D levels are considered to be the most concerning factor that causes weak, brittle bones, and hence, Osteoporosis. 

These are just the top six health risks associated with Vitamin D deficiency, if you would like to learn more, read this interesting article published on the HealthSite.com

Elite D3+K2 supplements are an excellent choice for daily consumption. They ensure calcium transported by Vitamin D is absorbed by your bones. Reducing the risk of any potential health issues that can be caused due to the deficiency. 

Ways to Overcome the Vitamin D Deficiency

The most popular ways to stay healthy and gain the right amount of Vitamin D in your body are:

• Being exposed to sunlight, at least 15 to 20 minutes a day. Sunlight is the direct source of Vitamin D and hence, it is important to increase your exposure to the sun in the mornings. To promote a healthier and stronger body, try incorporating early morning walks or afternoon walks into your busy schedule. Even during winter, learn to embrace the sun and take advantage of the winter sunshine too. Try to skip the peak sunny hours from 11am to 4pm because the strong UV rays during these hours can cause damage to your skin, premature ageing, and even skin cancer. 
• Another natural source of Vitamin D is food, though often in a much smaller amount of vitamin D. Vitamin D can be found in food sources like egg yolks, cod liver oil, fish such as salmon, sardines, herrings, and canned tuna, mushrooms. Even fortified foods like yogurt, orange juice, cereals, goat's milk, also contain Vitamin D. If you are on a vegan diet or despite consuming the above food sources, you may still be Vitamin D deficient, in such instances, we recommend you try high-quality supplements. 
• Finally, the most dependable source of Vitamin D is Elite Source Labs vegan vitamin K2 + D3 + Calcium capsules. Our Vegan D3K2 Calcium can help increase Vitamin D levels and boost your bone, muscle, heart and immune health. With just one capsule a day, you can eliminate daily fatigue, enhance your immune system, reduce inflammation, and improve your heart health. Elite Source Labs Vitamin D in our supplements is sourced from lichen, which is a small unique plant species. The oil extracts from lichen plant are developed to find the nutrient Vitamin D3 source.
• Even vegan vitamin K2 MK-7 produced from natto - fermented soybean that  has the highest amount of vitamin K2 source. While vitamin D3 is important for Calcium absorption, vitamin K2 helps direct Calcium to the right place in your body. 

References:

Vitamin D Deficiency - WebMD

10 Illnesses Linked to Vitamin D Deficiency - Everyday Health

26 Side Effects of Low Vitamin D You Need to Know About - Explore Health

8 Signs and Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency