What is Vitamin D deficiency?
Vitamin D deficiency means your body doesn’t have enough vitamin D to keep your bones, muscles and brain cells healthy. Vitamin D is important for absorbing calcium and maintaining strong bones and supports your immune system.
Without enough vitamin D, you may experience weak bones, muscle pain, or tiredness, and children may develop a condition called rickets.
What causes Vitamin D deficiency?
- Not enough sun exposure: Sunlight is the main source of vitamin D. Spending too much time indoors or covering most of your skin can reduce your vitamin D levels.
- Skin type: People with deeper skin tones need more sun exposure to produce enough vitamin D.
- Diet: Vitamin D is not naturally found in many foods. Fatty fish, eggs, and fortified foods have small amounts, and breastmilk contains little vitamin D.
- Health conditions: Certain medical conditions can affect your ability to absorb or produce vitamin D.
How did I get Vitamin D deficiency?
You may have developed vitamin D deficiency due to:
- Not enough sun exposure: Staying indoors or avoiding the sun for long periods.
- Skin type: Deeper skin tones make it harder to produce vitamin D from sunlight.
- Dietary reasons: Not eating enough foods that contain vitamin D.
- Special circumstances: Pregnancy, breastfeeding, or health conditions affecting absorption.