Experts warn: The cause of vitamin D deficiency should be investigated! Vitamin D, which enables the absorption of calcium in the body, has an important place in the functioning of nerve muscles and the immune system.
Internal Medicine Specialists shared important medical information, emphasizing that dizziness, muscle weakness or bone pain may be caused by vitamin D deficiency and that it is very important to see a specialist and comply with the treatment to be applied after diagnosis in order to get rid of the complaints:
Vitamin D deficiency can sometimes be a sign of a disease and sometimes a direct cause. Treatment for vitamin D deficiency must be prescribed by a specialist. It is not right to use vitamin D medications and supplements used in treatment indiscriminately.
The body can only produce vitamin D on its own when exposed to direct sunlight. Reminding that this may be possible for some people in the summer months, but is quite difficult in the darker winter months, experts said:
“The risk of vitamin D deficiency may naturally be higher in people who do not go out much, have dark skin, or do not eat animal products. Vitamin D deficiency is frequently seen in those who prefer a vegan diet and those over the age of 50. In addition, insufficient vitamin D poses a risk for some important health problems.” “For example, while it causes rickets in children, it can cause osteoporosis, muscle weakness and an increased risk of falling in adults. It is also of vital importance to replace vitamin D, whose level in the body decreases with age. Vitamin D deficiency can also increase the risk of osteosoftening in adults.”[1]
Vitamin D deficiency may be linked to cancer
Internal Medicine doctors say that the results of scientific research conducted in recent years have shown that vitamin D deficiency is associated with many chronic problems, including common cancers, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, some infectious and immune system diseases, and added: “It has positive effects on calcium, phosphorus metabolism and bone mineralization.”[2]
If vitamin D is deficient in the body, bone and muscle pain, muscle weakness, dizziness, fatigue, spine pain, proximal muscle weakness, myopathy, skeletal deformities (pelvis, ribs, legs) and fractures, imbalance, complaints related to low calcium, numbness. “Symptoms such as tingling, cramps, mood swings, insomnia, frequent illness, weight gain, exhaustion and sweating in the head area may be observed,” they say.
The most important source of vitamin D is the sun
Reminding that the main source of vitamin D is the sun and that vitamin D can also be obtained through ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) found in plants and cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) found in animal tissues, experts state that foods contain lower levels of vitamin D and list the foods richest in vitamin D as follows:[3]
- Oily fish (sardines, trout, tuna, herring, salmon, mackerel and smoked fish).
- Egg yolk, red meat and liver.
- Animal products such as meat, fish milk and eggs (mostly milk) fortified with vitamin D (D3).
- Wild mushrooms.
- Crops grown under UV light (D2).
Vitamin D treatment should be created by a specialist
Experts shared that in addition to an examination for diagnosis, vitamin D levels can be checked with a simple blood test, and if there is vitamin D deficiency, treatment can be started with the most appropriate doses according to the patient’s age, general condition and level of deficiency.
“In oral or injection treatments, patients who do not want to take tablet drugs can choose injection treatment, which has an effect duration of up to 6 months. It is important to use oral drug treatments in doses and durations determined by the doctor. Apart from these, vitamin D supplements are also used.
However, it is more beneficial to take these products with meals containing fat. It should not be forgotten that vitamin D treatment must be prescribed by a specialist. It is not right to use vitamin D medications and supplements indiscriminately. It causes excessive accumulation in the body due to excessive use. Since it is a fat-soluble vitamin, the body cannot immediately excrete excess vitamin D. “In some cases, this may even last up to a year, causing high calcium in the bones.”
References:
- Minisola S, Colangelo L, Pepe J, Diacinti D, Cipriani C, Rao SD. Osteomalacia and Vitamin D Status: A Clinical Update 2020. JBMR Plus. 2020 Dec 21;5(1):e10447. doi: 10.1002/jbm4.10447. PMID: 33553992; PMCID: PMC7839817. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7839817/
- Low Vitamin D Levels. Breastcancer.org (January 4, 2023)
- About colecalciferol – Brand names: Lamberts, Hux D3, Solgar, SunVit D3 – National Health Service (UK) https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/colecalciferol/about-colecalciferol/