Leg Pain Linked to Vitamin D Deficiency
One mineral that is essential for healthy bones is vitamin D. It might help lessen joint discomfort by having an anti-inflammatory impact. However, further investigation is required to confirm this.
Both physical and mental health can be negatively impacted by a vitamin D deficiency, but many people are unaware that they have low vitamin D levels. A deficit may manifest physically as joint muscle pain, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pain, which frequently affects the knees, legs, and hips.
This article examines the data supporting a connection between vitamin D and joint discomfort. We go over how people can get vitamin D and how much they should consume each day.
Why is vitamin D necessary?
One nutrient that aids in controlling the body’s calcium levels is vitamin D. This vitamin is essential for healthy bones.
Bones weaken and soften when vitamin D levels are low. This is known as rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. Another disorder that affects bones is osteoporosis, which vitamin D can help prevent.
Furthermore, the vitamin may have an impact on the immune system and aid in the treatment of autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS), RA, and Type 1 diabetes.
How to obtain vitamin D
Vitamin D can be obtained from the diet or produced by the body through exposure to sunlight. Important sources of vitamin D consist of:
Sunshine
When bare skin is exposed to sunlight, ultraviolet B (UVB) light can be converted by the body into vitamin D.
Avoiding hot, noon sun is crucial to preventing burning, even if sunshine is a great source of the vitamin. Excessive exposure raises the risk of skin cancer and damages the skin.
It may be required to get vitamin D from food sources when it is more difficult to spend time in the sun, like during the winter, because it is much more difficult to get enough of this vitamin via sunshine.
Supplements
Those who are vegetarians or elderly may find it difficult to obtain adequate vitamin D, particularly during the winter months.
According to the NIH, supplements could be helpful for:
Older adults’ skin loses its capacity to produce vitamin D as well as darker-skinned people’s, and breastfed babies’ skin may have a harder time using sunshine to produce vitamin D because their vitamin D levels depend on someone else’s
Vitamin D supplements can be purchased online or at pharmacies.
It is advisable to consult a physician or other healthcare provider before beginning any new supplement regimen and to follow their recommended dosage as excessive vitamin D can be hazardous.
