Lorraine: Dr Amir says spine could shrink if deficient in vitamin D
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Vitamin D is an essential vitamin that helps to regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. This naturally occurring vitamin can be sourced from sunlight, which is why it is often referred to as the “sunshine vitamin”.
However, vitamin D deficiencies become more common during the winter months in the UK due to the lack of strong rays from the sun, and fewer hours of sunlight at this time.
According to the NHS: “During the autumn and winter, you need to get vitamin D from your diet because the sun is not strong enough for the body to make vitamin D.”
Ensuring you get enough of this nutrient can help to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy.
The NHS warns: “A lack of vitamin D can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children, and bone pain caused by a condition called osteomalacia in adults.”
People who do not get enough vitamin D in their diet may begin to experience symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency.
One such symptom can impact your lower back.
According to NHS-partnered medical app Livi, among the most commonly reported symptoms of a deficiency is “bone or lower back pain”.
This can feel a lot like a dull ache, and so can be mistaken for something else.
However, if you do believe you could have a vitamin D deficiency, you should visit your GP as soon as possible.
Lower back and bone pain is not the only symptom that you are not getting enough of the essential vitamin, however.
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What other symptoms are there of a vitamin D deficiency?
According to Livi, some of the other most common symptoms include:
- Getting illnesses or infections more often
- Feeling tired or fatigued
- Hair loss
- Muscle pain
- Depression or low mood
- Wounds that heal slowly following surgery, infection or injury
Which food does vitamin D naturally occur in?
Vitamin D occurs in a number of food sources. According to the NHS, these include:
- Oily fish – such as salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel
- Red meat
- Liver
- Egg yolks
- Fortified foods – such as some fat spreads and breakfast cereals
Can I take vitamin D supplements?
In some cases, your GP may recommend that you take vitamin D supplements in order to up your daily intake.
Supplements can be an easy way of boosting levels, but it is important you do not take too much.
The NHS states: “Since it’s difficult for people to get enough vitamin D from food alone, everyone (including pregnant and breastfeeding women) should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D during the autumn and winter.”
Children from the age of one year and adults need 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day.
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