🎯 Title:
Vitamin D Deficiency: Symptoms, Causes & Natural Treatments | Wellness Vibes Podcast 46
📝 Description:
Are you constantly feeling tired, experiencing bone pain, or suffering from frequent illness? You may be facing **Vitamin D deficiency**, a silent health issue that affects millions around the world. In this episode of the **Wellness Vibes Podcast (Ep. 46)**, we explore:
✔ What is Vitamin D?
✔ Early warning signs and symptoms of deficiency
✔ Causes and risk factors
✔ Long-term health complications
✔ Diagnosis and blood test details
✔ Natural and medical treatment options
✔ Effective prevention tips for all ages
Whether you’re someone struggling with fatigue or simply looking to boost your wellness, this episode gives you a complete guide to understanding **why Vitamin D is essential** for your body and mind.
🎧 Hosted by the Wellness Vibes Podcast
📌 Based on medical guidance from Cleveland Clinic’s trusted article.
🔗 **Full article:**
[https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15050-vitamin-d-vitamin-d-deficiency](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15050-vitamin-d-vitamin-d-deficiency)
🔖 Tags:
`vitamin d
`vitamin d deficiency`
`wellness podcast`
health and wellness
`vitamin d symptoms
`vitamin d foods`
`low vitamin d treatment`
`how to increase vitamin d
`natural vitamin d sources
cleveland clinic`
vitamin d health benefits`
`vitamin d for bones`
`vitamin d for immunity
, `wellness vibes podcast`
`vitamin d and fatigue`
`vitamin d diagnosis`
📢 Hashtags:
#VitaminD
#HealthPodcast
#WellnessVibes
#VitaminDDeficiency
#HealthyLiving
#BoneHealth
#FatigueRelief
#NaturalHealing
#NutritionTips
#HealthAwareness
#food
#wellnessforlife
#healthylifestyle
#holistichealth
#motivation
#healthyliving
welcome back to the deep dive Today uh we’re jumping into something super common maybe even underestimated but absolutely critical for health Vitamin D deficiency You might think “Oh that’s just about bones right?” But we’re going to find out it’s actually much broader It can affect your mood your immune system really quite a lot and it’s a global thing We see it particularly affecting people over 65 um and also individuals with darker skin tones So our mission for this deep dive basically unpack what vitamin D really is why it matters so much figure out who’s most at risk look at the symptoms or sometimes the lack of symptoms which is surprising and then you know get into the causes and finally how it’s treated and ideally prevented We’ll pull out the key stuff you need to know
Exactly And it really is widespread You hear it called the silent epidemic Sometimes about a billion people worldwide are deficient which is well staggering And maybe another 50% don’t have enough That’s insufficiency And the thing is most of these people they have absolutely no idea It’s not just some minor thing It’s a hidden risk for bigger health problems So yeah understanding this stuff is really crucial Okay let’s get into it then This vital nutrient vitamin D where do we start what is it fundamentally and why is it such a big deal
well at its most basic vitamin D is an essential vitamin Absolutely key for building and maintaining healthy bones That’s the classic role everyone knows But it doesn’t stop there It’s also really involved in your nervous system your muscles uh and your immune system too Kind of like a background operator keeping things running smoothly
Okay So how does it actually do that what’s the mechanism
so the really critical piece is its role in balancing calcium and phosphorus in your blood in your bones It keeps that level just right Now if you don’t have enough vitamin D things start to go wrong Your gut just can’t absorb enough calcium and phosphorus from your food This leads to low blood calcium or hypocalcemia And when that happens your body has a backup plan but it’s not a good one Your parathyroid glands kick into high gear That’s secondary hyperarathyroidism trying to get blood calcium back to normal And how do they do that by basically raiding the calcium stores in your bones It accelerates bone demineralization Not ideal
Wow So the body is literally robbing Peter to pay Paul taking from the bones What conditions does this lead to what does that demineralization look like
in adults it can cause osteomalia That just means soft bones which as you can imagine seriously increases your whisker fractures In kids it’s called ricketetts Same underlying issue soft bones but because they’re still growing it can cause visible problems like bode legs or other bent bones
Ricketts sounds serious Yeah
Is it common now
thankfully no Not in places like the US anymore Fortifying infant formula and milk has made a huge difference It’s actually quite rare now Okay good to know And you mentioned the low calcium and the overactive parathyroid glands If those get really bad can they cause symptoms on their own yes definitely If the hypocalcemia or the hyperarathyroidism becomes severe you might start feeling things systemically like muscle weakness uh cramps fatigue even depression It shows how interconnected it all is
right so clearly very important How are we supposed to get at them seems like something we should have plenty of You’d think so but it’s actually a bit tricky There are only three main ways Getting sun on your skin through certain foods or from nutritional supplements
Okay sun exposure That’s the one everyone talks about But I’ve heard it’s not always straightforward
That’s absolutely right The sun is a major source but there are catches big ones Like people with more melanin in their skin darker skin just don’t produce vitamin D as efficiently from sunlight Older people too their skin becomes less efficient at making it And then there’s where you live Ah geography matters
hugely Think about places far from the equator like Canada or London during certain times of the year The angle of the sun just isn’t right for enough UVB radiation to reach your skin But even in sunny places like Florida or Abu Dhabi factors like time of day smog sunscreen use they all play a role It’s not as simple as just being outside
So who ends up being most affected by all this is it really anyone pretty much anyone can be affected Yeah infants kids adults but it is definitely more common in certain groups We mentioned people with darker skin Also individuals who wear clothing that covers most of their skin for cultural or religious reasons perhaps particularly in places like the Middle East They just get less sun exposure overall
Okay that makes sense So knowing all that what signs should people actually look out for what are the symptoms well in children if it’s a really severe deficiency you might see ricketetts those growth pattern issues weak muscles bone pain maybe joint deformities but again very rare in the US More often a milder deficiency in kids might just show up as muscle weakness or maybe they complain about sore or painful muscles It can be subtle And what about in adults you mentioned it can be tricky
Yeah in adults the symptoms are often really vague things like fatigue maybe some general bone pain muscle weakness or aches and cramps Sometimes mood changes too like feeling down or depressed But and this is so important that
you might have no signs or symptoms at all Zero You could be deficient and feel perfectly fine That’s why understanding your risk factors is maybe even more important than waiting for symptoms It’s often silent
Wow No symptoms at all Yeah that’s why it’s called the silent epidemic I guess So what are the root causes then why do people become deficient beyond just not enough sun
well the two big umbrella reasons are simple Either you’re not taking enough in through diet or sun or your body just isn’t absorbing or using it correctly But digging deeper there are specific reasons Certain medical conditions are big players
Like what things that affect your gut’s ability to absorb fats because vitamin D is fat soluble So cystic fibrosis Crohn’s disease celiac disease they can all hinder absorption and maybe surprisingly obesity Having a BMI over 30 is linked to lower vitamin D levels
Obesity how does that work
it seems like fat cells kind of sequester the vitamin D They hold on to it so it’s not available for the rest of the body to use People with obesity often need larger doses of supplements to compensate Also kidney and liver disease are important These organs are crucial for converting vitamin D into its active form that the body can actually use If they’re not working well you can become deficient even if your intake is okay
Okay And I’m guessing maybe certain surgeries or medications could interfere too Absolutely Weight loss surgeries especially ones like gastric bypass that alter the digestive tract can make it really hard to absorb nutrients including vitamin D Lifelong supplementation is often a must after those And yes several medications can interfere things like certain laxatives steroids predinisone is a common one Some cholesterol drugs like cholester even certain seizure medications like pheninoarbidol or phenitoine also an antibiotic for TB called rifampin and the weight loss drug or listat It’s quite a list Always good to review meds with your doctor
definitely Okay so beyond medical stuff what about just biology or environment age maybe
Age is a huge factor Yes As you get older especially past 65 your skin just doesn’t synthesize vitamin D from sunlight as efficiently as it used to And at the other end infants are at risk too especially if they’re exclusively breastfed because breast milk itself isn’t very high in vitamin D That’s why drops are often recommended for breastfed babies
right and skin color we mentioned
Yep Darker skin provides more natural protection from the sun but that same melanin makes it harder to produce vitamin D so higher risk And finally think about mobility If someone is homebound or lives in a nursing home and rarely gets outside they lose that potential sun exposure source entirely Okay so lots of potential pathways to deficiency How is it actually diagnosed then doctors routinely check for it
not usually as a routine screening for everyone no But if you have risk factors or if you’re experiencing symptoms that could be related your healthcare provider might order a blood test The most common test is called 25 hydroxy vitamin D sometimes written as 25 OD That measures the level in your blood And if the test shows a deficiency what’s the plan what’s the treatment goal
the goal is simple Get your levels up to an adequate range and keep them there Treatment usually involves supplements While diet and sun can help supplements are often the most reliable way to correct a deficiency effectively Right now I know there are different types of vitamin D supplements D2 and D3 What’s the difference does it matter
it can matter Yeah So there’s vitamin D2 which is called erggoaliferol It comes from plant sources like yeast or mushrooms exposed to UV light and it’s often the prescription form Then there’s vitamin D3 coliferol This is the type our bodies make from sunlight and it’s also found in animal sources It’s the form most commonly found in over-the-counter supplements
And is one better than the other generally studies suggest that D3 might be a bit more effective at raising and maintaining vitamin D levels in the blood compared to D2 It seems to be absorbed and utilized more easily by the body but the most important thing is talking to your doctor to figure out the right dose for you Taking too much isn’t good either Good point Speaking of doses what are the general recommendations for daily intake
sure The recommended dietary allowances or RDAs vary a bit by age For infants up to 12 months it’s 10 micrograms which is 400 international units or IU For people aged 1 through 70 it’s 15 micrograms or 600 IU For adults over 70 the recommendation goes up slightly to 20 micrograms or 800 IU because of that decreased skin production and potentially lower intake And for pregnant and breastfeeding women it’s 15 micrograms or 600 IU
Okay 600 IU for most adults seems to be the benchmark What about getting it from food are there any standout sources there are some good ones though it can be hard to get enough from diet alone Fatty fish are probably the best natural source Think salmon mackerel tuna sardines beef liver cheese and egg yolks have smaller amounts Some mushrooms especially if they’ve been exposed to UV light contain D2 Cod liver oil is famously rich in it too
And fortified foods those seem pretty common now
They are and they make a big difference for many people Milk cow’s milk is usually fortified in the US Many plant-based milks like soy almond and oat milk are too Also check labels on things like breakfast cereals orange juice yogurt margarine They often have vitamin D added And of course many multivitamins included
right so what if someone is deficient and it just doesn’t get treated what are the potential long-term consequences
well the direct consequences are those issues with calcium and phosphate balance We talked about low blood levels and that can lead to the bone diseases ricketetts in children osteomalacia in adults While ricketetts is treatable if it’s very severe and goes untreated for a long time there can be really serious complications like seizures heart problems though death is extremely rare thankfully
Okay so prevention is definitely the way to go How do we strike that balance then getting enough sun for vitamin D but not too much sun because of skin cancer risk
That’s the million-dollar question isn’t it it really is about balance aiming for adequate intake through a combination of diet sensible sun exposure and supplements if needed Sensible sun exposure means short periods maybe 10 15 minutes a few times a week on arms and legs without sunscreen during times when the UVB is strong enough but avoiding burning at all costs It’s tricky and varies hugely by location skin type and time of year
Yeah it sounds like something to be cautious about Now on the flip side you mentioned not taking too much Can you actually overdose on vitamin D
yes you absolutely can But it’s important to know how Vitamin D toxicity almost exclusively happens from taking very high doses of supplements over a long period
Not from the sun
No Your body has a feedback mechanism that stops producing vitamin D from sunlight once you have enough And it’s virtually impossible to get toxic levels from food alone It’s really about overdoing the supplements
Okay So what would toxicity look like what are the symptoms
the symptoms can be quite serious They stem from having too much calcium in your blood or hypercalcemia Things like nausea vomiting poor appetite constipation weakness But it can also affect your brain and nervous system confusion uh problems with balance and coordination that’s calledaxia even slurred speech or disarthria It’s also worth noting some fish oils like cod liver oil are high in vitamin A as well as D Taking too much of those can lead to vitamin A toxicity too which is also dangerous So moderation and following dosage advice is key
Definitely sounds like something to be careful with and discuss with a doctor Which brings us to the final point When should someone talk to their healthcare provider about all this
really anytime you’re concerned if you think you might have risk factors we discussed your age skin type medical conditions medications lack of sun exposure or if you’re experiencing any potential symptoms like fatigue bone pain muscle weakness
So better to ask than to guess
Absolutely Your provider can assess your individual risk decide if testing is needed and recommend the right course of action whether it’s prevention or treatment For those with known high risks regular checks might be a good idea
Okay great advice And that wraps up our deep dive for today We’ve covered a lot of ground really reinforcing that vitamin D isn’t just about bones it’s fundamental And while deficiency is incredibly common the good news is it’s often preventable and definitely treatable with the right approach
Yeah And maybe a final thought to leave you with given how widespread this deficiency is and how often it’s completely silent symptom-wise what might be the larger perhaps more subtle effects on our population’s health overall especially when you think about its role in the immune system the nervous system It’s something to ponder perhaps reflecting on your own lifestyle and potential risks Remember having this knowledge is great but applying it is what counts So if anything we talked about today sparked a concern definitely chat with your healthcare provider Couldn’t agree more Thanks so much for joining us on this deep dive into vitamin D We hope you feel more informed empowered about this vital nutrient
