Vitamin D Deficiency: Infection Alert

With people staying Indoors, some have been deprived of Vitamin D. It is well known that Vitamin D is important for our teeth, muscles, and bones health. Read how Vitamin D deficiency can affect your overall health.

Vitamin D is important as it is required to keep us healthy, since its deficiency can affect several parts and functions in our body. The best source of vitamin D as we all know is the Sun and so it is also called ‘Sunshine Vitamin’. Therefore, staying indoors for too long and not seeing the sun throughout the day is not good for your body. Vitamin D deficiency is very common and here are a few ways in which its lower levels can affect you:

1. Immunity
   One of the key roles of vitamin D is to keep your immune system healthy. A healthier immune system is able to fight the disease-causing viruses and bacteria. Getting often sick with cold or flu can be a sign of a weaker immune system. Especially today, when COVID-19 is around, it is important as it boosts our immunity levels so that we are safe from this disease.
2. Bone Health
   Deficiency of vitamin D can result in a compromised bone health. Bones are an integral part of our body and vitamin D improves the absorption of calcium in our body. Its lower levels can lead to a lowering of calcium levels in our bones and increasing the risk of fractures and osteoporosis.
3. Depression
   Depression is becoming a common phenomenon, especially in today’s youth. However, depression has been linked to lower levels of vitamin D in the body. Research has shown that vitamin D supplements improve mood. Being called the sunshine vitamin, it is also often seen that people are more cheerful on a sunny day, rather than on days when you don’t see the sun at all like during the rainy season or so.
4. Muscle Health
   Apart from bones, vitamin D levels also affect muscles in our body. Its lower levels may cause muscle pain in children and adults. This may be due to the vitamin D receptor that is present in nerve cells which sense pain.
5. Fatigue
   Deficiency of vitamin D can cause fatigue and tiredness in a person. Some studies have shown that there are strong links between the two of them. Therefore, get your vitamin D levels tested and increase its intake to improve the energy levels.

Apart from these, there are many other health benefits of vitamin D. Therefore, now that you may be hesitating to step out of your homes, sitting in your balcony or terrace for some time during the sunlight may be helpful. However, too much exposure to harsh sun rays may be harmful. Deficiency of vitamin D is usually easy to fix. Thus, an adequate amount of exposure to sunlight at the right time and eating foods rich in vitamin D must be a part of your daily routine.