5 signs that tell you need a Vitamin D test

Just like other nutrients, sufficient intake of Vitamin D is necessary for our body. Sunlight is the biggest source of Vitamin D and every single cell in your body has a receptor for it. Our body makes Vitamin D from cholesterol when the skin is exposed to sunlight. The nutrient is necessary to keep your bones, teeth and muscles healthy.

Even then the importance of vitamin D intake is widely overlooked and for the same reason, about 1 billion people across the globe face deficiency of this essential nutrient. Apart from the Sun, Vitamin D is also found in certain foods such as fatty fish and fortified dairy products.

The symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency is quite complex. So, most people do not realise that they are deficient. Here are 5 telltale signs that reveal that you need to spend more time outdoors, soaking in the Sun and upping your Vitamin D quotient.

The most common sign of Vitamin D deficiency is exhaustion. If you often feel exhausted, even after eating right and sleeping for 7-8 hours at night, it can be due to some underlying health condition. Vitamin D is necessary for the proper functioning of skeletal muscles and scarcity of this nutrient can lead to extreme fatigue. As per a study carried out on a group of female nurses, the researchers established a link between low Vitamin D level and self-reported fatigue.

Vitamin D is even necessary for the absorption of calcium in the body. Sufficient amount of calcium intake is essential to keep our bones, muscles and teeth healthy. If you often experience back or muscle pain, then it may be a sign of inadequate Vitamin D level in the blood. Studies even suggest the link between the deficiency of this vitamin and chronic pain.

Slow recovery of wounds after an injury can also be due to low levels of Vitamin D in the body. This vitamin even plays a crucial role in controlling inflammation and fighting infection. A study suggests that people suffering from severe deficiency of Vitamin D are more likely to suffer from inflammation, which can halt the healing process.

Hair loss can be due to multiple reasons and the most common of all is the deficiency of Vitamin D. This nutrient stimulates hair follicles to grow, so when this vitamin is deficient in the body, the hair quality may get affected. Vitamin D deficiency is also linked to alopecia areata, which is an autoimmune condition that causes patchy hair loss.

Vitamin D also plays a key role in uplifting your mood. If you feel low or depressed, then sunlight can help to cheer you up. Exposure to sunlight is even recommended to people suffering from depression. If you are feeling low lately, then being outdoors in the sunshine may help.