Vitamin D deficiency? What the hell?

I saw my oncologist recently for my usual quarterly check-up. A week later I received a call from his office and they were in a panic. Seems my Vitamin D level was extremely low but I couldn't help but wonder why it was such a big deal? I didn't realize what all problems this could cause. Some health problems that Vitamin D deficiency can cause include heart disease, chronic pain, Fibromyalgia, hypertension, arthritis, depression, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, PMS, Crohns Disease, cancer, MS and other autoimmune diseases. They wanted me to begin taking a high dose of Vitamin D immediately. Apparently vitamin D is of utmost importance for your body because its role is to help your body use the calcium and phosphorus from your food. It also regulates normal cellular differentiation thus preventing cancer and helps insulin secretion. Vitamin D is very important for the body, regardless of age or sex, but here is something about vitamin D deficiency symptoms in women - it is suggested that vitamin D is very important when it comes to cancer prevention in women; the types of cancers we’re referring to are breast cancer, bladder cancer, ovarian cancer and colon cancer.

One of the most common symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency is fatigue. This doesn’t just mean that you have to take naps throughout the day or that you are sometimes tired and have a hard time waking up in the morning. Instead, vitamin D deficiency fatigue is a near-constant feeling that you might fall asleep or are too weak to do everything from brush your teeth to even walk to bathroom. Folks with vitamin D deficiency fatigue have a hard time not only going to work but also doing such things like driving cars or talking to friends and family members. This symptom is one of the most commonly listed and one of the most debilitating. No matter how much a person sleeps, they may not be able to feel energized. A person’s professional and personal life is affected due to the vitamin D deficiency fatigue. I've been tired and feeling out of sorts lately but I thought it was just overdoing it trying to get Community Green rolling.

Also, pain in the bones or muscles, as well as poor concentration/memory and restless sleep are other indications of possible deficiency. [I have noticed a lot more leg and foot cramps lately and I'm lucky if I remember to get dressed in the morning!] Lastly, a more serious symptom of vitamin D deficiency is that one’s bones have become more fragile. This means that a simple trip could result in fractured or broken leg. This can be quite serious because fragile bones take long time and is hard to heal. [Great, I'd better be careful at derby practice!]

Vitamin D is found in many dietary sources such as fish, eggs, fortified milk, and cod liver oil. The sun also contributes significantly to the daily production of vitamin D, and as little as 10 minutes of exposure is thought to be enough to prevent deficiencies. Getting enough Vitamin D is important to good health!