A Closer Look at Vitamin D Deficiency: A Silent But All-Too-Common Plague

Considering a vegan vitamin D supplement? You may have better reasons than you think. Vitamin D deficiency is a concerning medical issue affecting millions of Americans, and is far more common than publicly acknowledged.

Here are some high level takeaways from this far-reaching public health issue.

How Many Americans Are Vitamin D Deficient?

According to a study published by the NCBI, data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2005 to 2006 indicated that more than 40% of Americans were deficient in vitamin D. Specifically, the survey indicated that 41.6% of Americans were at risk of vitamin D deficiency.

This is concerning not only on its face, but because inadequate levels of vitamin D are implicated in other chronic conditions, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

What Are Some Signs of Vitamin D Deficiency?

Concerned you might be one of the nearly half of Americans who may be deficient in vitamin D? Here are some symptoms:

• Fatigue and trouble sleeping. Those who exhibit “hypovitaminosis D” (medical jargon for “low vitamin D levels”) experience trouble sleeping and may also feel tired all the time. A study even indicated that correcting the condition immediately rectifies feelings of chronic fatigue and it may also help with sleep.
  
  
• Hair loss; vitamin D is implicated in immunomodulation and anti-inflammatory roles specific to keratinocytes, which are the cells that form healthy skin, nails, and in this case, hair. Those who exhibit severe vitamin D deficiency may also be at risk of hair loss and scarring alopecia.
  
  
• Muscle weakness, chronic pain, soreness, and joint pain. Healthy levels of vitamin D are necessary to build and repair muscle tissue, as well as to maintain healthy joints. Those who are deficient in vitamin D may exhibit any or all of the musculoskeletal symptoms mentioned here.

• Low spirits or even depression. Low levels of vitamin D are associated with feelings of sadness, a depressed mood, and even depression. While studies are still forthcoming, some indicate that the mere supplementation of vitamin D can correct feelings of poor spirits and may uplift the mood.
  
  
• Loss of appetite. While more research is needed to isolate the factors, some studies indicate that low levels of vitamin D may be associated with poor appetite, which can further contribute to poor dietary choices.

• Getting sick frequently. Believe it or not, healthy levels of vitamin D are not just associated with helping you recover from the cold, flu, and other common ailments, but because of its immunomodulatory effects, low levels of vitamin D may even cause you to get sick more frequently.

These are just a few of the potential symptoms of vitamin D deficiency. There are many others, but this is nonetheless a good place to start.

What Are Some Good Sources of Vitamin D?

Fortunately, and despite the fact that millions of Americans are afflicted by vitamin D deficiency, there are many good, readily available sources of the vitamin.

Eggs, specifically the yolks, are rich in vitamin D, as are healthy, oily fishes like tuna, salmon, and mackerel. So are sardines and herring, if you like those.

Organ meats, like liver, are also rich in vitamin D, although to some that is an acquired taste. Orange juice and milk are also generally seen as good sources of vitamin D.

Vitamin D levels are also not just about diet, but lifestyle. One of the main ways your body synthesizes vitamin D is from sunlight. When the UVB in sunlight hits your skin, it converts a cholesterol-like compound into pre-vitamin D, which then goes to the liver and kidneys where it undergoes the final transformation, then circulating as the active form of vitamin D.

Therefore, it’s not just a healthy diet, but a healthy lifestyle, that helps ensure optimal levels of vitamin D.

Moreover, as you might have noticed, the majority of these sources are not vegan or even vegetarian friendly, which is one of the reasons that we have formulated a vegan vitamin D supplement.

How to Take a Vitamin D Supplement

That depends on the type of supplement, but our vegan vitamin D supplement is one of the easiest of all to take. You can take it orally or sublingually as needed, or sprinkle a few drops into basically any drink or recipe.

Why Try a Vegan Vitamin D Supplement?

Not just because it’s packed with healthy vitamin D, but because it’s vegan-friendly, with no refined sugars, GMO-ingredients, additives, gluten, soy, or fillers. Our vegan vitamin D supplement is a true clean supplement, too.

Also, in addition to helping to encourage healthy levels of vitamin D, this supplement is also rich in vitamin K2, which is implicated in the bioutilization of calcium to healthy teeth and bones.

As always, if you have any questions about this or any of our other clean supplements, get in touch with us directly at Hello@RawRevelations.com and we will be happy to help.