The body needs regular doses of Vitamin D to remain healthy. A deficiency can negatively affect our moods, our weight, and even our skin tone and complexion. While many people associate Vitamin D with dairy products, we can also get a great deal of it from the sunshine. As winter is coming to an end, The Compounding Pharmacy of Beverly Hills gives you 6 signs that your body may be craving more Vitamin D.
1. You experience achy bones and joints.
If you wake up in the morning with stiff joints and achy bones, you may be suffering from a Vitamin D deficiency. This nutrient is vital for keeping the tissues and muscle surrounding the joints well lubricated and functioning properly.
2. You feel down and depressed.
A lack of Vitamin D can wreak havoc on our emotions. This nutrient helps the body to produce the necessary levels of serotonin that helps us feel happy and energetic. During the fall and winter, many of us tend to spend more time indoors. Since sunshine is a leading provider of Vitamin D, we can easily begin to feel moody, sluggish, and slightly depressed.
3. You are over 50.
As we get older, we tend to spend less and less time outdoors, even when the sun is shining and the days are warm and beautiful. Also, our kidneys begin to slow in their conversion of Vitamin D, according to the American Cancer Society. Therefore, recent medical research suggests that we are far more likely to suffer from a Vitamin D deficiency as we approach 50 years of age and older.
4. You are overweight.
People who are overweight produce Vitamin D at the same rate as those who are not. But the higher concentration of body fat has a direct effect on the amount of Vitamin D that makes it into the bloodstream. Vitamin D is fat-soluble. The more overweight that we become, the more diluted the Vitamin D becomes in our bodies. As a result, those who are overweight or obese require higher doses of Vitamin D to achieve the standard level of positive health benefits.
5. You have a darker complexion.
Those with a naturally darker skin tone require up to ten times more Vitamin D that those with a fairer complexion. Our skin acts as a type of natural sunscreen. When our skin tone is darker, we are automatically at a disadvantage because our skin is less able to absorb the Vitamin D from the sun.
6. You are experiencing gut trouble.
Those who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, celiac, or Crohn’s disease are more highly susceptible to a Vitamin D deficiency due to the way that their gastrointestinal tract absorbs fat. Lower fat absorption also means that our bodies cannot also absorb the fat-soluble Vitamin D as well.
Fear not! A deficiency in Vitamin D is easily correctable. Contact your friendly pharmacists at The Compounding Pharmacy of Beverly Hills today for more information.
