Vitamin D deficiency targets around one in five Britons. The deficiency can be even more prevalent during the winter months as your body might not be able to get enough of this vitamin from direct sunlight. Here are the warning signs to spot the lack of this nutrient.
Vitamin D helps with various functions in your body, including immunity and heart health, Heart UK explains.
The sunshine vitamin also plays a role in absorbing calcium and phosphorus from your diet.
Then your body uses these minerals to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy and strong.
So, when your body becomes deficient in vitamin D, these areas of your body can become targeted.
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For example, your bones can start feeling painful under moderate pressure, a health portal Patient reports.
This is often more obvious in the ribs or shin bones.
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Another place affected by this problem can be your back.
You might experience bone pain in this area as well as in your hips, pelvis, thighs and feet.
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How much vitamin D do I need?
Adults, and children over the age of one year, need 10 micrograms of vitamin D on a daily basis.
There are also international units, IU for short, used for measuring vitamin D content.
One microgram of this vitamin is the equivalent of 40 IU, bringing your recommended daily target to 400 IU.
When it comes to babies under one year, they need around 8.5 to 10 micrograms a day, the health service adds.
Apart from sunlight, you can get vitamin D from certain foods, including oily fish and mushrooms, or supplements.
Source: Daily Express
