HEAL
Posted September 28, 2021
Nearly every cell in your body uses vitamin D in some way. If you don't get enough vitamin D, you may feel fatigue, muscle pain, weakness, a deep achiness and have difficulty walking. But the signs of vitamin D deficiency are not always obvious.
It’s common to be vitamin D deficient. Because sunshine naturally produces this vitamin, this deficiency is especially common for those of us who live in northern climates like Minnesota.
Vitamin D is important for strong, healthy bones. It also helps your body fight off germs, and for your nerves to carry messages to and from your brain. In children, vitamin D prevents rickets or soft bones. In older people, low vitamin D levels can lead to bone loss that increases the risk for fractures and soft bones that cause bone pain and muscle weakness.
A simple blood test can find out if you have a low vitamin D level. It is important to ask your doctor if testing for vitamin D may be helpful for you. It is also important to check to see if your insurance covers this testing.
Signs and symptoms may differ in children and adults. Some common symptoms include:
You can get vitamin D in three ways:
Some people are at higher risk for vitamin D deficiency. For example, your skin’s ability to absorb vitamin D decreases as you age. You are most at risk for being vitamin D deficient if you:
If you are deficient in vitamin D, supplements can help you get to the recommended level. In addition to taking a supplement, try spending up to 15 minutes outdoors in the sun when you can. Be sure to wear an SPF 30 or higher sunscreen if you plan to be in the sun for more than 15 minutes. This will lower your risk of developing skin cancer.
Keep in mind that sunlight filtered through a window will not help your body make vitamin D. And, in the northern half of the United States, including Minnesota and Wisconsin, energy from the sun is not enough for skin to make vitamin D between late fall and early spring.
If you are at risk for low vitamin D levels or are having symptoms, talk with your health care provider or schedule a virtual visit.
Adults need the following amounts of vitamin D each day:
The safe upper limits of vitamin D a day for adults and pregnant or breastfeeding women is 4,000 IU a day. Breastfed infants generally need a vitamin D supplement. Discuss this with your child's pediatrician.
You can take too much vitamin D. Because it’s fat soluble, vitamin D is stored in fat cells and too much can be toxic. So, if you eat plenty of food naturally containing vitamin D or fortified with it, don't go overboard with supplements.
Concerned about your vitamin D level? Talk with your health care provider or schedule a virtual visit.
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