A year back, I was constantly suffering from aches and pain, weakness and exhaustion, and even a good night’s sleep did not help. So, I decided to investigate with the help of a doctor. My blood work revealed that I had very low levels of vitamin D in my blood. I was asked to take a series of four high-dosage vitamin D vaccinations every 15 days to bring the levels back to normal. This, I thought, was serious stuff. Curious as I am, I decided to do some research on the implications of low blood levels of vitamin D. Here’s what I discovered.
If you shun the sun or adhere to a strict vegetarian diet, you may be at risk for vitamin D deficiency. Known as the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D is produced by the body in response to sunlight. It also occurs naturally in a few foods “ including fish, fish liver oils and egg yolks. Vitamin D is essential for strong bones as it helps our body absorb calcium and phosphorus from the diet. A sustained deficiency of vitamin D weakens our bones, making them soft and brittle, ultimately leading to osteoporosis. Traditionally, vitamin D deficiency was associated with rickets, a disease that leads to soft bones and skeletal deformities. But increasingly, research is revealing the importance of vitamin D in protecting against a host of health problems.
Symptoms and health risks of Vitamin D deficiency: If you suffer from exhaustion, bone pain and muscle weakness you may have a vitamin D deficiency. However, for many people, the symptoms are subtle. Even without symptoms, too little vitamin D can pose health risks. Low blood levels of the vitamin have been associated with the following:
- Increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease
- Cognitive impairment in older adults
- Severe asthma in children
- Weakened immune system
- Increased risk of cancer, particularly colon cancer
Research suggests that vitamin D plays a role in the prevention and treatment of a number of different conditions, including type 1 and type 2 diabetes, hypertension, glucose intolerance, and multiple sclerosis.
Testing for Vitamin D deficiency: The most accurate way to measure your blood levels of vitamin D is the 25-hydroxy vitamin D test. In the kidney, 25-hydroxy vitamin D changes into an active form of the vitamin. The active form of the vitamin can be measured through the blood. The active form of vitamin D helps control calcium and phosphate levels in the body. The normal range is 30.0 to 74.0 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL). A lower level indicates vitamin D deficiency, and a concentration of less than 20 nanograms per millilitre is considered inadequate, requiring treatment. While commonly available in most testing laboratories, this blood test can be quite expensive “ in Goa, it costs anywhere from Rs. 2,000 “ Rs. 4,000.
Getting sufficient Vitamin D: The best source for vitamin D is the sun. Your body produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. A fair skinned person can make plenty of vitamin D with just twenty to thirty minutes of sunshine. The darker your skin is, the more time you need in the sun “ up to three hours for extremely dark-skinned people. Why? Because melanin, a pigment found in the skin, reduces the body’s ability to make vitamin D from the sun. In fact, older adults with darker skin are at high risk for vitamin D deficiency. Also, due to concerns about sun exposure and skin cancer, people either avoid sun exposure or use sun protection which increases their risk for vitamin D deficiency. If you can't get your vitamin D from sunlight, you can get it from certain foods and supplements. Eggs, mushrooms, cod liver oil, and oily fish like mackerel and sardines are all high in vitamin D. For vegetarians, sufficient exposure to sunlight and/or vitamin D supplements may be necessary to ensure adequate intake.
After completing my series of vitamin D vaccinations, I am back to my energetic ways and the aches, pains and exhaustion are gone. Despite a busy schedule, which includes managing my business, running around with my son and a high-intensity workout and heavy weight training, I no longer feel exhausted. I am now more particular about eating foods rich in vitamin D and spending time in the sun.
Due to our darker skin tone and a tendency to avoid the sun, we Indians have a high risk for vitamin D deficiency. In fact a large proportion of India’s population is deficient in vitamin D. So, don’t accept your exhaustion, bone pain or muscle weakness as something normal. Get yourself tested for vitamin D deficiency.
Nivedita Dempo is a fitness expert and the owner of Studio 101, Goa’s premier fitness centre
