Vitamin D is one of those nutrients most people don’t think about until something feels…off. If you feel like you and your body are always tired or that you keep getting sick, it could be due to stress or burnout. But according to Registered Dietitian and founder of Wellness Simplified Amanda Natividad-Li, the more quiet culprit could be low vitamin D.
A deficiency in vitamin D quietly impacts multiple systems in the body over time, so here’s what happens when you’re not getting enough of it and what you can actually do about it:
1.
Your bones might become weaker than your grip on reality.
2.
You might feel tired. Like, weirdly tired.
3.
The muscles and joints in your body might start complaining, AKA acting like they’re helping pay rent (they are, btw).
4.
Your immune system may be struggling. Even more than you.
5.
Hair loss could enter the picture.
6.
It can also affect your depression or anxiety?! Well, sh*t.
7.
Your skin might look…tired.
8.
Long-term risks often appear later in life. Beware.
9.
Sunlight just isn’t the safety net we think it is.
10.
Some people, like folks with more melanin or who only eat vegan, need to be extra intentional about their intake.
11.
An easy way to increase your vitamin D intake without changing your entire life is by starting with your plate — “A glass of fortified milk at breakfast, two eggs at lunch, and a serving of salmon at dinner can meet the adult recommended intake of vitamin D,” Natividad-Li said.
12.
But sometimes, you just gotta swallow the pills. And when it comes to supplements, the kind and timing matters.
I used to think vitamin D was a minor character in my health story. Turns out, it’s been quietly doing a ton of background work this whole time, and absolutely noticed when I stopped showing up for it — she really is that girl. And if your body has been sending confusing little signals lately, vitamin D might need more of your attention, too.
Thank you so much to Amanda Natividad-Li for being our vitamin D oracle and helping throw some much needed light on this! You can check out her website Wellness Simplified, as well as her YouTube and Instagram @wsimplified for more ways to incorporate vitamin D in your everyday nutrition.