One of vitamin D’s most important roles is keeping your immune system strong so you’re able to fight off viruses and bacteria that cause illness. The vitamin is imperative during the cold winter months when people are more susceptible to colds and flus. Vitamin D directly interacts with the cells that are responsible for fighting infection. If a person is often sick, especially with colds or the flu, low vitamin D levels may be a contributing factor.

Several large observational studies have shown a link between a deficiency and respiratory tract infections like colds, bronchitis and pneumonia.

Vitamin D is an extremely important vitamin and has powerful effects of several systems in the body.

Unlike other vitamins, vitamin D functions like a hormone, and every single cell in the body has a receptor for it.

The body makes vitamin D from cholesterol when the skin is exposed to sunlight.

With the lack of sunshine during winter, what are the four main signs your body is lacking vitamin D?

Fatigue and tiredness

Having a vitamin D deficiency causes a person to feel very tired.

Case studies have shown that very low blood levels can cause fatigue that has a severe negative effect on quality of life.

Depression

For a person experiencing a depressed mood may also be a sign of vitamin D deficiency.

In review studies, researchers have linked vitamin D deficiency to depression, particularly in older adults.

Depression is associated with low vitamin D levels and some studies have found that using vitamin D supplements could help improve one’s mood.

Bone and back pain

Vitamin D helps maintain bone health and does this in a number of ways.

For one, it improves the body’s absorption of calcium. Bone pain and lower back pain may be signs of inadequate vitamin D levels in the blood.

Researchers have found that those with a vitamin D deficiency were more likely to have back pain, including severe back pain that limited their daily activities.

Impaired wound healing

If a person experiences slow healing of wounds after surgery or an injury it could be a sign of low vitamin D levels.

One study on people who had dental surgery found that certain aspects of healing were compromised by vitamin D deficiency.

It’s also been suggested that vitamin D’s role in controlling inflammation and fighting infection is important fro proper healing.

For most Britons, a lack of exposure to the sun makes it almost impossible to reach healthy levels of the vitamin through diet alone, the government advised.

Unless people eat ten micrograms of vitamin D a day – equivalent to two and a half tins of tuna, one salmon fillet or ten eggs – they should take supplements as well, a government guideline also stated.

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