Vitamin D and Calcium Deficiency Symptoms
Introduction
Vitamin D is a nutrient produced in our body and found in a few food sources and is synthesized in our bodies when the sun's UV rays hit our skin. Vitamin D is also available in the form of supplements.
According to Harvard University's T H Chan School of Public Health, Vitamin D is crucial for the body to absorb Calcium, promote bone health and muscle strength and boost immune function.
Vitamin D deficiencies can result from limited sunlight in the winter, lack of Vitamin D-rich foods, or when your liver or kidney cannot convert Vitamin D in its active form.
Consuming up to 10mg of Vitamin D supplements daily is known to avoid a deficiency.
Calcium is a building block for bones and teeth and is known to regulate the contractions of muscles. Food sources of Calcium include green leafy vegetables like broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, and dairy products.
Calcium deficiency is called hypocalcemia.
England's National Health Service (NHS) states that adults must take up to 700mg of Calcium to avoid a deficiency.
Are the Vitamin D and Calcium deficiencies interconnected?
Studies show that our bodies absorb Calcium in the small intestine with the help of Vitamin D. Vitamin D is a hormone, and Calcium is a mineral that works together to aid bone health, nervous system communication, and muscle movement.
Vitamin D Deficiency symptoms
Fatigue
A commonly overlooked symptom of vitamin D deficiency is fatigue. Studies have shown that low levels of Vitamin D correlate to daytime fatigue, which could add to fatigue, tiredness, and sluggishness.
If you quickly feel tired, check your Vitamin D levels and look for ways to increase your intake of vitamin D so that you can get rid of this problem.
Hair Loss
To think that a Vitamin D deficiency can affect your hair seems unimaginable. But it is true! Vitamin D deficiency causes hair loss, and in some cases, it causes alopecia. Alopecia is an autoimmune disease that both men and women may experience, wherein bald patches occur on the scalp and parts of the body.
Vitamin D is known to stimulate old and new hair follicles. With low Vitamin D levels, new hair growth is stunted.
Mood swings, anxiety, and depression
As important as Vitamin D is for one's physical health, it is equally vital for mental health. Anxiety can result from stress, depression, or other mental disorders. People who are suffering from such conditions usually feel anxious all the time because they feel helpless and hopeless. They feel like they cannot cope with their problems and regularly suffer from anxiety attacks. The best way to deal with this problem is by taking vitamin D supplements, which will help improve your overall health and reduce anxiety symptoms.
Studies have shown that exposure to the sun or taking Vitamin D supplements when battling depression and other mental disorders may be an easy and cost-effective therapy that could improve their quality of life and health in the long term.
Weak bones
If your bones and back are hurting, do not overlook this Vitamin D deficiency symptom. Bone pain is a widespread cause of Vitamin D deficiency. This can be observed in children who have bone fractures or cannot meet their daily vitamin D requirement. The bones become weak when the body lacks Calcium, which is needed to build strong bones.
Osteoporosis is a condition that affects the bones as they grow older and more brittle, causing them to break easily. It's characterized by a loss of bone density and an increased risk for fractures.
Calcium Deficiency Symptoms
Poor bone health and muscle cramps
As mentioned earlier, consuming enough Calcium ensures healthier bones and prevents bone injuries such as fractures.
Muscle cramps are sudden, painful, involuntary contractions in various muscles. While dehydration can also cause muscle cramps, deficiencies in minerals such as Calcium, magnesium, and potassium also trigger muscle cramps.
If you are experiencing any of the above, be sure to visit your doctor and take supplements according to their recommendation. Adding supplement with both calcium and vitamin D would be ideal.
Hallucination
Hypocalcemia or calcium deficiency adversely impacts the brain and causes psychological or neurological symptoms, such as confusion, memory loss, delirium, depression, and hallucinations. These symptoms disappear if the calcium level in one's body is no longer low.
Weak and brittle nails
Healthy nails have smooth and consistent coloring. Calcium deficiencies are the underlying cause of brittle, thin, and weak nails that are susceptible to breaking. Did you know that poor nail health indicates early indicators of bone density issues?
Thus it is crucial to ensure you increase your Vitamin D levels so that Calcium can be better absorbed and utilized by your body.
Severe PMS in women
Calcium deficiencies affect a woman's physical and psychological symptoms before her menstrual cycle.
Studies have concluded that women taking calcium supplements daily for two months had reduced fluid retention and mood fluctuations during their premenstrual syndrome.