Vitamin D Deficiency: What Happens To Your Body When You Lack This Crucial Vitamin

Vitamin D is a crucial vitamin that is required by the body for several important functions. It helps to keep the bones, teeth and muscles healthy and a lack of it can cause bone deformities and bone pain, among others. Your body gets vitamin D primarily from sunlight. When your skin is exposed to sunlights, it triggers the production of this vitamin in the body. The skin makes vitamin D when it's exposed to the UVB rays of the sun, with the liver and kidneys then converting it into its active form for the body to use. However, you can also get it from foods like fatty fish, fortified milk/cereals, and supplements.

Vitamin D helps in the absorption of calcium which is essential for your bones. It also helps your immune system and keeps your muscles and brain cells working. When your body lacks vitamin D, it can disrupt several important functions, especially the bones, muscles and immune system. Here are some ways how a deficiency of vitamin D can impact your health.

What Happens To Your Body When You Suffer From Vitamin D Deficiency?

1. Bone Weakening

Without sufficient vitamin D, your body struggles to absorb calcium from food which causes a drop in calcium levels. This triggers the parathyroid glands to overproduce parathyroid hormone (PTH). This causes calcium to leach directly from your bones to restore balance. Over time, bones become porous, brittle, and prone to fractures, which is known as osteomalacia in adults or rickets in children. You might experience bone pain, especially in the spine, pelvis, or legs, and increased injury risk from even minor falls. In severe cases, bones soften dramatically, leading to deformities. In the long-term, it can cause problems like osteoporosis.

2. Muscle Weakness

Vitamin D plays an important role in muscle cell function by improving calcium uptake, which is crucial for contraction and relaxation. Deficiency in this vitamin can disrupt this function, resulting in muscle weakness, aches, cramps, and involuntary twitching. It can also impact everyday activities like climbing stairs, rising from a chair, or carrying groceries. Older adults may face dangers as poor muscle tone impacts balance, increasing fall risks and increasing bone fragility.

3. Fatigue and Tiredness

Persistent low energy and unexplained fatigue are key signs of vitamin D deficiency. It happens due to the influence of vitamin D on cellular energy metabolism and inflammation control. Your mitochondria underperforms without it, leaving you drained despite getting the required hours of sleep. You might also notice other symptoms like mineral imbalances and chronic muscle strain which amplify this lethargy. It is also accompanied by "brain fog," poor concentration, and daytime drowsiness.

4. Poor Immunity

Vitamin D enhances the ability of the immune system by boosting their pathogen-fighting abilities. It also helps to curb excessive inflammation. When your body lacks this vitamin, your body has weaker defenses, leading to frequent colds, flu, or prolonged infections. Also, one might witness slow wound healing and upper respiratory problems. Chronic deficiency also increases risks of autoimmune disorders due to heightened inflammatory responses.

5. Mood Disturbances

Your brain has vitamin D receptors that regulate serotonin, the "feel-good" neurotransmitter. Deficiency can disrupt this pathway, leading to depression, anxiety, irritability, and emotional instability. Studies link low levels of vitamin D to seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Fatigue and physical discomfort also impact mood, creating a loop where low mood reduces outdoor activity, further lowering vitamin D levels.

6. Increased Disease Risk

Deficiency of vitamin D also increases risks of chronic illnesses like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. Without vitamin D, vascular inflammation increases which stiffens arteries and strains the heart. Also, your insulin sensitivity drops, which eventually causes diabetes. There is also an increased risk of cancer as cell growth regulation is impacted, particularly for colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer. Autoimmune conditions like multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis can flare up due to poor immunity.

7. Joint and Back Pain

Vitamin D deficiency can also cause nagging joint, back, and widespread musculoskeletal pain due to softening bones and inflamed tissues. Osteomalacia impacts vertebral strength, causing lower back pain that radiates to the hips or thighs.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.