Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCauses of Low Vitamin DAsymptomatic DeficiencySymptomsEffects of Low Vitamin DTestingRuling Out Other CausesTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes of Low Vitamin D
Asymptomatic Deficiency
Symptoms
Effects of Low Vitamin D
Testing
Ruling Out Other Causes
Treatment
Vitamin D affects most body systems and is important to overall health. Symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency can include muscle weakness, fatigue, and hair loss.
Vitamin D deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in the world.You might become deficient if you don’t get enoughvitamin Dthrough diet or exposure to sunlight. In addition, some health conditions and medicines make it harder for your body to produce vitamin D.
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate supplements the way it regulates prescription drugs. That means some supplement products may not contain what the label says. Whenchoosing a supplement, look for independently tested products and consult a healthcare provider, registered dietitian nutritionist (RD or RDN), or pharmacist.
Who Gets Low Vitamin D Levels?
Among those most likely to have a vitamin D deficiency are:
Vitamin D is afat-solublevitamin. If your gut doesn’t absorb fat well, this interferes with absorbing vitamin D dissolved in fat in the diet. Conditions that can interfere with this process include:
Certain drugs that may affectvitamin D levelsinclude:
Being Asymptomatic With Vitamin D Deficiency
Most people with vitamin D deficiency areasymptomatic.However, it’s easy to overlook nonspecific symptoms or attribute mild symptoms to something else. Symptoms may not be apparent until there are complications. For example, you may not know you have fragile bones until you experience a fracture.
Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms
Your body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium, and calcium is crucial to bone health. Vitamin D is also important to muscles, the nervous system, and the immune system.
Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency can include:
Vitamin D may not have a direct effect on weight changes. However, related contributing factors may play a role in weight loss or gain, including:
Health Effects of Low Vitamin D
You might be deficient in vitamin D due to diet, lack of sun exposure, or because of certain health conditions or medicines. It’s important to get a diagnosis and initiate treatment because severe vitamin D deficiency in children can causerickets, a condition that leads to:
In adults, severe vitamin D deficiency can lead to:
Vitamin D deficiency is also associated with chronic diseases that may include:
How to Test for Low Vitamin D
You can determine vitamin D levels with a blood test called25-hydroxyvitamin D. It’s not a routine test, but a healthcare provider might recommend it if you’re at high risk of vitamin D deficiency or have symptoms.
The symptoms of vitamin D deficiency overlap with those of many other conditions. For example, symptoms such as muscle weakness, fatigue, and sleep problems can look like chronic conditions, includingmultiple sclerosis (MS)andfibromyalgia. Symptoms such as poor appetite, sadness, and mood changes might mimic a mood disorder likedepression.
It’s important to report all symptoms to a healthcare provider so they can determine the next steps to rule out or confirm the diagnosis.
Initiating Treatment for Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency
Your vitamin D needs change with age. The recommended amounts in international units (IU) are:
When it comes to diet, not many foods contain vitamin D, though many are fortified with it. Some good food sources are:
Foods fortified with vitamin D include:
A healthcare provider may recommend other therapies, depending on your diagnosis and overall health.
You are unlikely to get too much vitamin D through diet or sunlight. However, when taking supplements, keep in mind that the tolerable upper limit (UL) per day is:
Taking more increases the risk oftoxiceffects.Too much vitamin D can cause high calcium blood levels (hypercalcemia), which can damage the kidneys, soft tissues, and bones. Symptoms include:
Summary
Vitamin D deficiency is a common problem worldwide. Symptoms include fatigue, muscle aches, and getting sick easily. Severe vitamin D deficiency can lead to serious health issues, such as rickets and osteoporosis. Lack of vitamin D may also play a role in immune system disorders, heart disease, and cancer.
You can find out if you’re vitamin D deficient with a blood test. If you are deficient, it’s very treatable. Dietary supplements can get your vitamin D level up fairly quickly, but don’t take more than your healthcare provider recommends.
Any further treatment will depend on your overall health and if you have related conditions.
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.BMJ Best Practice.Vitamin D deficiency - symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.Office of Dietary Supplements. National Institutes of Health.Vitamin D fact sheet for health professionals.Saket S, Varasteh N, Halimi Asl AA, Saneifard H.How antiepileptics may change the serum level of vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus in children with epilepsy.Iran J Child Neurol. 2021;15(1):19-27. doi:10.22037/ijcn.v15i1.25952Yale Medicine.Vitamin D deficiency.University of Nebraska-Lincoln.9 Vitamin D deficiency symptoms (and 10 high vitamin D foods).Wang H, Chen W, Li D, et al.Vitamin D and chronic diseases.Aging Dis. 2017;8(3):346-353. doi:10.14336/AD.2016.1021UpToDate.Patient education: vitamin D deficiency (beyond the basics).MedlinePlus.Vitamin D deficiency.Harvard Health.Vitamin D and your health: Breaking old rules and raising new hopes.Rooney MR, Harnack L, Michos ED, Ogilvie RP, Sempos CT, Lutsey PL.Trends in use of high-dose vitamin D supplements exceeding 1000 or 4000 international units daily, 1999-2014.JAMA.2017;317(23):2448-2450. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.4392MedlinePlus.Hypervitaminosis D.
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.BMJ Best Practice.Vitamin D deficiency - symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.Office of Dietary Supplements. National Institutes of Health.Vitamin D fact sheet for health professionals.Saket S, Varasteh N, Halimi Asl AA, Saneifard H.How antiepileptics may change the serum level of vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus in children with epilepsy.Iran J Child Neurol. 2021;15(1):19-27. doi:10.22037/ijcn.v15i1.25952Yale Medicine.Vitamin D deficiency.University of Nebraska-Lincoln.9 Vitamin D deficiency symptoms (and 10 high vitamin D foods).Wang H, Chen W, Li D, et al.Vitamin D and chronic diseases.Aging Dis. 2017;8(3):346-353. doi:10.14336/AD.2016.1021UpToDate.Patient education: vitamin D deficiency (beyond the basics).MedlinePlus.Vitamin D deficiency.Harvard Health.Vitamin D and your health: Breaking old rules and raising new hopes.Rooney MR, Harnack L, Michos ED, Ogilvie RP, Sempos CT, Lutsey PL.Trends in use of high-dose vitamin D supplements exceeding 1000 or 4000 international units daily, 1999-2014.JAMA.2017;317(23):2448-2450. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.4392MedlinePlus.Hypervitaminosis D.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
BMJ Best Practice.Vitamin D deficiency - symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.Office of Dietary Supplements. National Institutes of Health.Vitamin D fact sheet for health professionals.Saket S, Varasteh N, Halimi Asl AA, Saneifard H.How antiepileptics may change the serum level of vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus in children with epilepsy.Iran J Child Neurol. 2021;15(1):19-27. doi:10.22037/ijcn.v15i1.25952Yale Medicine.Vitamin D deficiency.University of Nebraska-Lincoln.9 Vitamin D deficiency symptoms (and 10 high vitamin D foods).Wang H, Chen W, Li D, et al.Vitamin D and chronic diseases.Aging Dis. 2017;8(3):346-353. doi:10.14336/AD.2016.1021UpToDate.Patient education: vitamin D deficiency (beyond the basics).MedlinePlus.Vitamin D deficiency.Harvard Health.Vitamin D and your health: Breaking old rules and raising new hopes.Rooney MR, Harnack L, Michos ED, Ogilvie RP, Sempos CT, Lutsey PL.Trends in use of high-dose vitamin D supplements exceeding 1000 or 4000 international units daily, 1999-2014.JAMA.2017;317(23):2448-2450. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.4392MedlinePlus.Hypervitaminosis D.
BMJ Best Practice.Vitamin D deficiency - symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.
Office of Dietary Supplements. National Institutes of Health.Vitamin D fact sheet for health professionals.
Saket S, Varasteh N, Halimi Asl AA, Saneifard H.How antiepileptics may change the serum level of vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus in children with epilepsy.Iran J Child Neurol. 2021;15(1):19-27. doi:10.22037/ijcn.v15i1.25952
Yale Medicine.Vitamin D deficiency.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln.9 Vitamin D deficiency symptoms (and 10 high vitamin D foods).
Wang H, Chen W, Li D, et al.Vitamin D and chronic diseases.Aging Dis. 2017;8(3):346-353. doi:10.14336/AD.2016.1021
UpToDate.Patient education: vitamin D deficiency (beyond the basics).
MedlinePlus.Vitamin D deficiency.
Harvard Health.Vitamin D and your health: Breaking old rules and raising new hopes.
Rooney MR, Harnack L, Michos ED, Ogilvie RP, Sempos CT, Lutsey PL.Trends in use of high-dose vitamin D supplements exceeding 1000 or 4000 international units daily, 1999-2014.JAMA.2017;317(23):2448-2450. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.4392
MedlinePlus.Hypervitaminosis D.
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