The vitamin D deficiency target is one in five Britons. However, the sunshine vitamin is needed to help regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in your body. Thus, this keeps your bones, teeth and muscles healthy.
From immunity to heart health, vitamin D is “essential” to good health, explains Heart UK.
Because vitamin D helps keep your bones and muscles strong and healthy, a vitamin D deficiency can cause symptoms in these areas.
Not getting enough of this nutrient can lead to various problems, such as bone deformities, muscle weakness, and pain.
One warning sign of this type is musculoskeletal problems.
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According to the Cleveland Clinic, musculoskeletal pain affects bones, muscles, joints, ligaments and more.
Although trauma such as a fracture can cause this symptom, vitamin D has also been implicated in this symptom.
In fact, one of the main symptoms of vitamin D deficiency includes bone pain.
The patient explains that your bones can begin to feel pain under moderate pressure.
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This can often be more obvious in your ribs or shinbone.
However, you may also experience bone pain in your back, hips, pelvis, thighs, and feet.
Although musculoskeletal problems such as bone pain can indicate a vitamin deficiency caused by sun exposure, it is not the only symptom.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, other signs may include:
- Tired
- Muscle weakness
- Muscle pain
- Muscle cramps.
- Mood change
- Depression.
How much vitamin D do I need?
Adults and children over the age of one need 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day, according to the NHS.
There is also the International Unit (IU), which is used to measure vitamin D levels. When it comes to this measurement, you are looking for 400 IU per day.
In addition to sunlight and supplements, you can get vitamin D from a number of foods.
Good food sources include:
- Oily fish (salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel)
- Red meat
- Liver
- Yolk
- Fortified foods (some fat spreads and breakfast cereals).
Source: | This article first appeared on Express.co.uk
