Anchor Wellness Center: Your Trusted Source For Functional Medicine
To learn more about how vitamin D deficiency can cause fatigue, call Anchor Wellness Center today at 246-8437 and schedule an appointment with Dr. Minni Malhotra, MD, FAARM, ABAARM. Board Certified in Family Medicine as well as Board Certified with the American Board of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine, Dr. Malhotra can tell you if your fatigue is caused by vitamin D deficiency and formulate a personalized treatment plan to get you back to optimal health.
Increased Risk Of Infection
Low vitamin D can lead to inflammation, which has been linked to an increased risk of infection. When you are deficient in vitamin D, your immune system may not be as strong, making you more susceptible to infection.
Additionally, vitamin D is necessary for the proper functioning of the immune system, so a lack of vitamin D can make it difficult for the body to fight off infection.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is important to talk to your doctor. Vitamin D deficiency is a treatable condition, and there are several options for treatment.
Vitamin D And Depression
Depression is a medical condition that changes the thoughts, feelings, or behaviors of an individual. Symptoms include:
- Loss of interest in activities the individual previously liked
- Isolation and withdrawal
What Research Shows
Studies on vitamin D supplementation and depression show a relationship between the two.
The only limitation of the studies is that they donât prove that vitamin D deficiency causes depression. People with depression may have lower vitamin D levels, but the deficiency did not cause the illness.
How Vitamin D Deficiency is Linked to Depression
If the cause of depression was a lack of the vitamin, then supplementation would help reduce the signs and symptoms. An increase in the levels of the vitamin would also prevent depression from occurring, but this is not the case.
There is another possible explanation of the correlation between vitamin D deficiency and depression. Many groups at a high risk of depression are also likely to have vitamin D deficiency.
Adolescents, people with obesity, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses are the most prone to having vitamin D deficiency. They are also at a higher risk of depression.
Possible Causes for This Correlation
As noted above, some symptoms of clinical depression include withdrawal and social isolation. Since these individuals spend less time outside, they lack the much-needed exposure to process enough vitamin D.
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Role In Sleep Disorders
Maintaining healthy vitamin D levels plays a role in your ability to get a good night’s sleep. One study, published in the “Journal of Sleep Research” in 2013, notes that people with vitamin D deficiency often face difficulty staying asleep at night. A vitamin D deficiency also increases your risk of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome — a disorder that causes you to wake up several times during the night — according to a study in the August 2013 issue of “Endocrine.” If you have a vitamin D deficiency affecting your ability to get to sleep or stay asleep throughout the night, you’re more likely to feel tired throughout the day.
How Will Taking Vitamin D Help
Taking vitamin D supplements on a regular basis will help reduce the potential for stroke or heart attack. You should consult your doctor about an increased dosage to begin with.
Vitamin D supplements may slow or prevent all forms of arthritis, relieve you of depression associated with seasonal affective disorder , and help prevent colon cancer and diabetes.
It has been suggested by numerous researchers and doctors, that vitamin D can help or prevent gingivitis, tooth decay and loss, Type I diabetes, muscle pain, rickets, schizophrenia, and multiple sclerosis.
Many doctors recommend that you should take 1000 IU/day of vitamin D. The RDA or recommended dietary allowance is typically 200-600 IU/day. Dr. Holick states that the RDA is inadequate and endorses 1000 IU/day at the very minimum.
As you can see, the importance of vitamin D is astronomically astounding in the diseases it is linked to, as well as depression, chronic fatigue, and disturbed sleeping patterns.
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How To Get More Of The Sunshine Vitamin
One way to increase vitamin D is obvious: get more sunshine! Sun is healthy for your skin. Your skin needs rays of sunlight to make vitamin D. Exposing your skin to the sun without sunscreen is the best way to get more of the sunshine vitamin. However, that doesnt mean you can spend as much time in the sun as you want. Its important to keep yourself from getting sunburned. If youre going to be outside in the sun for more than fifteen minutes, cover up with protective clothing or use sunscreen.
What Should I Do If My Dizziness From Vitamin D Deficiency Gets Really Bad
If your dizziness from vitamin D deficiency is severe, you should see a doctor right away. In the meantime, try to get more sun exposure and take a Vitamin D supplement.
If you are taking medication for your deficiency, make sure to follow the directions carefully. You may need to increase your dosage or frequency if your symptoms are severe.
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What Vitamins Can Help With Dizziness
Vitamins have been shown to assist with dizziness. Vitamin C, for example, may help reduce vertigo while Vitamin D can aid circulation problems. Iron supplements can assist with anemia if you are suffering from dizziness as a result of anemia.
If you are unsure of what vitamins may help you, it is always best to speak with a doctor or nutritionist.
Vitamin Deficiencies That Cause Fatigue
18 August, 2020
Fatigue is a recurring feeling of tiredness with no apparent cause, which can be worsened by mental activity. It can make just getting out of bed and starting your daily routine almost impossible.
Lifestyle habits are important, but also take a closer look at what youre eating. If youre missing certain nutrients, your body will have a hard time giving you the energy you need to face the day.
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Joint Pain And Inflammation
There’s a long list of conditions responsible for joint issues, but this is one you don’t hear about very often. “Low vitamin D levels in the blood cause an inflammatory response, causing pain and inflammation in the joints,” Springer says. So, if there’s no other explanation you can think of behind your joint pain, your vitamin D levels could be the culprit.
How To Get More Sun Exposure
- Go for a short walk outside of the office at peak sunshine times, usually from 12am-2pm.
- Maximize your time outside on your days off.
- Particularly in the summer, maximize your time outside as in the winter your body tends to get its Vitamin D from food. Around ten minutes of sun exposure, a day should be enough before applying sun cream.
- Take off your jumper or jacket when its beautiful and warm for a couple of minutes, let your skin soak in the sun. But dont leave it too long, you dont want to be freezing if its the middle of winter!
- Try exercising outside! Dont head over to the gym, go for a run around the park or even give gardening a go.
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How Can Hypercalcemia Be Prevented
Not all hypercalcemia can be prevented, but avoiding excess intake of calcium pills and calcium-based antacid tablets is recommended. Be sure to talk with your doctor if you have a family history of high calcium, kidney stones or parathyroid conditions. Avoid taking dietary supplements, vitamins or minerals without first discussing them with your doctor.
Genotyping Imputation And Quality Control
The full data release contains the cohort of successfully genotyped samples . 49,979 individuals were genotyped using the UK BiLEVE array and 438,398 using the UK Biobank axiom array. Pre-imputation QC, phasing and imputation are described elsewhere. Sample QC included removing individuals of non-European ancestry, high relatedness to others in the sample, or with sex-mismatch. Details of the QC and imputation process has been described previously.
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How Low Vitamin D Causes Fatigue
I can count on one hand how many of my patients had adequate vitamin D levels when I tested them, says Susan Blum, M.D., assistant clinical professor at Mount Sinais Icahn School of Medicine. Indeed, research shows 91 percent of women have suboptimal D levels and women over 50 are at the greatest risk. Theyre more likely to stay out of the sun or wear a hat and sunscreen, says Dr. Blum, so they dont absorb enough UV rays to make D. The result: exhaustion, mood swings and frequent illness.
Having dark skin has been shown to double the risk of low vitamin D. Melanin, the pigment responsible for darker skin, is a natural sunscreen, explains rheumatologist James Dowd, M.D. But when theyre not outside as much and not near the equator, darker-skinned people can have egregiously low D levels. Being overweight is another deficiency risk factor, he says. D is a fat-soluble vitamin, so its sequestered in stored fat and not available to be used.
Where Should I Keep My Medicine
Keep out of the reach of children.
Storage at room temperature between 15 and 30 degrees C . Keep container tightly closed. Throw away any unused medicine after the expiration date.
NOTE: This sheet is a summary. It may not cover all possible information. If you have questions about this medicine, talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or health care provider.
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Signs And Symptoms Ofanxiety
Stress signals to the body that it must take action. Its great for life-threatening situations but can lead to physical and mental issues if it gets out of hand. People with anxiety disorders feel a level of stress that isnt proportional to the situation at hand.
There are different types of anxiety. Some may feel anxious in a social setting whereas others will feel it constantly for no reason. They all share common symptoms.
Signs of anxiety are:
- Fortified milk
- Fortified cereal
There are many types of food fortified with vitamin D. Examples include juices, pasta, and even margarine. Making a conscious effort to choose fortified food can help with a vitamin D deficiency and anxiety as well as depression.
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Can You Ever Have Too Much Vitamin D
Yes. You can get too much vitamin D if you overdo the supplements. Interestingly, you cannot get too much vitamin D from the sun. Vitamin D toxicity is, thankfully, quite rare but can lead to hypercalcemia and together the symptoms can include:
- Confusion.
- Ataxia .
Do not take higher-than-recommended doses of vitamin D without first discussing it with your doctor. However, your doctor might recommend higher doses of vitamin D if he or she is checking your blood levels and adjusting your dose accordingly. Also, be cautious about getting large doses of vitamin A along with the D in some fish oils. Vitamin A can also reach toxic levels and can cause serious problems.
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Cathelicidin And Nk Cells In Innate And Adaptive Immunity
NK cells are activated by direct DC/NK contact and cooperate with CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells . Further activating signals in a bi-directional way may be received from and sent to macrophages, polymorphonuclear leucocytes, T- and B-lymphocytes, mast and epithelial cells, or as inhibitory signals from Tregs . NK cells secrete antimicrobial peptides such as -defensin and cathelicidin and induce anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory and immune-memory effects . Their maturation and function depend upon the environmental signaling milieu . However, reliable in vivo evaluation of NK cell functions is limited by complex cell kinetics and variable signals from the surrounding environment . Exhausted NK effector cells were described in chronic infectious processes .
Due to these complex relationships, reported effects of 1,252D3 on NK cells remain contradictory. Some reports describe inhibitory effects , with depressed NK cell activation and cytotoxicity in rats , reduced NK cell chemotaxis against eosinophils, and reduced IL-15-induced IL-8 secretion . Others showed inhibition of NK cell activation by 1,252D3, but no inhibition of cytotoxicity, with reversed inhibition after immune activation with IL-2 secretion or exogenous IL-2 addition .
What Are Good Sources Of Vitamin D
- Oily fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines
- Red meat
- Fortified foods like breakfast cereals
- Dietary supplements
In some countries cows milk is fortified with vitamin D, which can provide a good source of intake. But in the UK this is not standard practice. Although you may be able to find a small minority of cows milk brands that have extra vitamin D included, it’s best to concentrate on the other dietary sources above if youre looking to increase your levels, says Dr McClymont.
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If You Take Any Group Of Patients With Almost Any Disease Their Vitamin D Levels Will Be Lower Than In A Healthy Individual Ian Reid
Ian Reid, professor in medicine at the University of Auckland, believes that diseases cause low vitamin D levels, as being unwell often leads to spending less time outdoors exposed to sunlight, rather than vice versa. If you take any group of patients with almost any disease, their vitamin D levels will be lower than in a healthy individual. This has led some to hypothesise its low vitamin D developing the disease, but theres no evidence to prove it, he says.
Some experts believe people who are unwell have low vitamin D levels because they spend less time outdoors, not that their low levels cause health problems
Researchers have found that higher vitamin D levels are associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer it plays a role in stemming the formation of new blood vessels and stimulating better communication between cells. Vitamin D also has been found to help maintain normal levels of calcium in the colon, which slows growth of non-cancerous but high-risk cells.
Other studies, including of the link between vitamin D and liver cancer,breast cancer and prostate cancer, suggest there is good reason to think that low vitamin D plays a part in the spread of cancer cells. But taking supplements would then, surely, help stave off cancer and a recent meta-analysis failed to find that supplementation reduced cancer risk.
D for depression
Treating Vitamin D Deficiency
The best way to treat vitamin D deficiency is to:
- Increase your exposure to the sun
- Increase your intake of food fortified with vitamin D
- Take supplements
Your doctor may also give you antidepressants to treat depression. You can take them separately or with dietary supplements. Join a support group, exercise regularly and practice proper sleeping habits.
Preventing Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D is as vital for mental health as it’s essential for physical health. There is sufficient research to show that not having enough of the vitamin can lead to depression-like symptoms. People with depression have higher chances of having vitamin D deficiency. Prevent this from happening by adding food rich in Vitamin D to your diet and getting adequate sun exposure.
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How To Increase Vitamin D And Decrease Anxiety
While vitamin D itself is unlikely to be causing your anxiety, that doesnt mean it cant, and the activities that you do to help increase vitamin D are valuable for your anxiety anyway. Getting outside will help you get what vitamin D you can, although there are also nutritional supplements available. Getting more sunlight by going outside more often can reduce the symptom of anxiety associated with SAD , and it can also give you a chance to reduce your anxiety by way of activities such as the following:
- Exposure Therapy Exposure therapy is recommended by some therapists as a way of overcoming your anxiety. If you have social phobia and are nervous around other people, for example, casually taking a walk outside in a park or at a zoo is a great way to exposure yourself to your fears in a safe and controlled environment, thereby teaching your brain over time that excessive fear responses in these situations are unnecessary.
- Creating a Routine Making going outside into a comforting routine helps to relieve anxiety by providing yourself with a positive event in your day that is reliable, predictable and stable. Anxiety can make you feel like your life or your surroundings are out of your control. You can impose control on your life in a positive way by setting a time for yourself to head out the door for 30 minutes or more and walking around the block, which can be something you do in evening or in the mornings, or going on regular walks or hikes on weekends.
What Causes Osteomalacia
Osteomalacia develops most commonly due to a vitamin D deficiency , or less frequently, due to a digestive or kidney disorder. Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption and for maintaining bone health. These disorders can interfere with the body’s ability to absorb vitamins. There are also rare genetic conditions that can cause osteomalacia.
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Analysis Of Vitamin D
Vitamin D metabolites 25D2 and 25D3 were analysed as previously described. 25D2 and 25D3 were extracted from serum samples, following zinc sulfate protein precipitation, using Isolute C18 solid phase extraction cartridges. Potential interfering compounds were removed by initial elution with 50% methanol followed by elution of the vitamins using 10% tetrahydrofuran in acetonitrile. Dried extracts were reconstituted prior to injection into a high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry in the multiple reaction mode. The multiple reaction mode transitions used were 413.2> 395.3, 401.1> 383.3and 407.5> 107.2 for 25D2 and 25D3, and hexadeuterated D3, respectively. The assay was validated against published acceptance criteria . Assay sensitivity was determined by the lower limit of quantification: 25D3=2.5nmol/L and 25D2=2.5nmol/L. Coefficients of variation for the assay were 10% across a working range of 2.5625nmol/L for both 25D2 and 25D3.
The LCMS/MS method used in the present study has previously been validated against other commercially available assays and is regarded as the most valid and reliable technique for the assessment of vitamin D metabolites including 25D2 and 25D3.
