Winter is coming, manage Vitamin D levels to protect bones, muscles and immune system
By Katie Benzan
October 29, 2021
Image Credit: Collin Riviello for The Campus Trainer
“I don’t know how you’re functioning right now,” said Nhaya Vaidya’s doctor after reading Vaidya’s blood work.
The senior journalism and government and politics international relations double major was feeling tired, but just assumed it was due to COVID-19 or stress. Regardless, Vaidya decided to see her family doctor for a routine checkup and blood work in 2019.
Vaidya, then, discovered she was vitamin D deficient.
The cutoff for vitamin D deficiency is 30-40 ng/mL, according to Paula Karamihas, assistant director of sports nutrition at the University of Maryland. If one’s blood work results are below that value, then one is considered vitamin D deficient. Karamihas said, most have normal levels of vitamin D.
Vaidya’s vitamin D results were 6 ng/mL. Vaidya’s family doctor said her score was one of the lowest she has ever seen.
Our main source of vitamin D is sunlight. The Cleveland Clinic recommends about 15-20 minutes of sun exposure three days a week. However, as the winter approaches and the amount of sunlight diminishes, it’s important to maintain proper vitamin D levels. Dr. Justicia Opoku-Edusei, senior lecturer in the Department of Biology at the University of Maryland, recommends “to increase your food intake … things that are high in vitamin D.”
This hormone can be found in: salmon, tuna, eggs, mushrooms and some dairy products. However, it's hard to add vitamin D to your diet, because “not a lot of foods have it,” said Karamihas.
Finally, supplements are only advised as a last resort. It’s possible to abuse vitamin D, if you overuse the supplements. Vitamin D toxicity can lead to nausea, poor appetite, constipation, increased thirst and urination and even slurring of the words and stumbling, according to the Cleveland Clinic. However, you can’t get too much vitamin D from the sun.
Vitamin D plays an important role in bone health, immune system health and muscle function, said Karamihas.
You need vitamin D, so calcium and phosphorus can build bones, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to fractures and osteoporosis because vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium.
Dr. Opoku-Edusei said, vitamin D will break down bones if calcium isn’t present in the bloodstream. The breakdown of bones could result in osteoporosis, which implies less bone mass and strength.
“Research does show that people with lower vitamin D levels are more at risk for illness,” said Karamihas. Some studies show a correlation between vitamin D deficiency and greater disease rates, and even severity of symptoms, according to Karamihas.
Vitamin D deficiency is also connected to an increase in inflammation and a higher risk of pneumonia, both of which are determinants of the severity of COVID-19, according to the study, “Does vitamin D deficiency increase the severity of COVID-19?”.
Vitamin D also reduces the risk of injury by allowing for normal muscle functions. Karamihas referred to this vitamin as the “athlete vitamin” for that particular reason.
To prevent any fractures or sickness, Vaidya was prescribed a supplement. The effects were supposed to take a whole year to kick in, but just after two months, Vaidya was feeling “a lot better.” She was feeling more like herself - feeling more rested and having more energy.
Unlike Vaidya, senior psychology major Nicole Himel doesn’t take her vitamin D medication regularly. “Mental illness trumps vitamin D deficiency,” she said. Himel prioritizes her mental illness medications, and so she often forgets to take her vitamin D supplement.
The signs and symptoms of low vitamin D levels are:
Fatigue
Bone pain
Mood changes, such as depression
Muscle weakness
Sore or painful muscles
Dr. Opoku-Edusei said vitamin D deficiency is difficult to discover because its symptoms are so unspecific. The symptoms of low vitamin D levels hint at other illnesses, such as food poisoning.
“It’s not like vitamin C where you see poor wound healing and then you would know. With vitamin D, it’s very very silent.”