It is becoming more and more fashionable, especially since And it is that, the lack of vitamin D (hypovitaminosis D) is an increasingly common condition among people of all ages, but older adults are at greater risk. 60% of the Spanish population has a deficit in this vitamin, and in the case of the elderly, this figure increases by up to 80%.
However, eating a diet rich in vitamin D is a good way to get your craved vitamin, as the signs of low vitamin D levels are often subtle and can be mistaken for other health conditions. Here are some of the most common symptoms of a lack of vitamin D:
1. Weak muscles
As you age, vitamin D deficiency is associated with muscle weakness, which can manifest itself in different ways. In general, one tends to feel heaviness in the legs and difficulty standing and climbing stairs. Vitamin D, necessary to help and regulate the absorption of calcium, maintains normal bones, muscles and teeth. The combination of weakened muscles and bones caused by low vitamin D levels has been associated with an increased risk of falls and fractures, which can be very dangerous and even fatal for the elderly.
2. Weight gain
Vitamin D plays an important role in regulating appetite and also body weight. Lower levels of vitamin D have been shown to be associated with obesity, while higher levels of vitamin D have been associated with reduced body fat.
3. Fatigue
Many people who are tired all the time may not realize that they may have a nutritional deficiency, so they ignore their symptoms. Vitamin D deficiency can lead in serious situations to rickets in children or osteomalacia in adults, where bones become brittle and muscle weakness is noticeable.
4. Digestive problems
In some studies it has been seen that approximately 60% of patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) have low levels of vitamin D, that is, it is the vitamin that is most affected in this type of intestinal disorders. IBD is divided into two main types: ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. These intestinal diseases can interfere with the way the intestines absorb dietary fat, and vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin.
5. Headache
As has been mentioned, the lack of vitamin D produces excessive bone wear, in this case, in the skull, which can cause an osteomalacia headache, but in addition, it can also cause a certain general muscle weakness, all this together makes us hurt head. Several studies are verifying the use of vitamin D as a possible improvement factor to alleviate these headaches.
6. Mental problems
Vitamin D helps maintain a normal immune system and contributes to the cell division process. In addition, low levels of vitamin D can contribute to cognitive decline and a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
7.Coronavirus
Although it has not been fully proven that it directly influences the cure of patients with coronavirus, although it does improve their improvement, recent studies, during the global pandemic, have opened the debate to propose whether vitamin D supplementation could reduce the incidence, severity and the risk of death from influenza, from pneumonia and from the current Covid-19 epidemic. The potentially protective effect of high daily doses of vitamin D to rapidly increase blood and tissue levels is currently being explored, with the aim of counteracting RAAS overload and thus improving the course of Covid-19 infection, its respiratory complications among others.
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