5. If you have dark skin…
Vitamin D also helps in formation of skin pigment. This very pigment is quite helpful in protecting skin cells from cancer and sunburns. Without adequate levels of vitamin D in our body, the process of pigment formation gets affected too.
On a general note, every individual is supposed to contain 60 to 70 nmol/L of vitamin D at the end of the summer season, and above 50 nmol/L at the end of the winter season. Vitamin D deficiency if non-symptomatic, is hard to find out. However, symptomatic conditions are generally worrisome and require some prompt action.
The skin of darkly pigmented individuals finds it hard to absorb proper sunlight, and so, this group of population is at a greater risk of developing the deficiency. Moreover, vitamin D deficiency-associated conditions such as cardiovascular ailments, diabetes and skin cancers are also more prevalent in darker individuals.
Such people must adapt more towards diet containing this nutrient, along with considering exposure to sunlight.
6. You suffer from low mood
So next to the bones, muscles and skin, is your central nervous system which tends to get affected in the absence of adequate levels of vitamin D in blood. “Low moods” are pretty common as well as variable manifestations of this disease. This could likely be due to the fact that vitamin D influences mood positively, and so, its absence leads one towards ‘low mood experiences’.
Serotonin, a hormone that promotes the state of relaxation in human body and mind, has been observed to be produced in the presence of sufficient vitamin D levels in blood. The diminishing levels of this nutrient is followed by the depleting levels of this serotonin hormone. Low serotonin levels in the brain are highly linked with depression, and a major manifestation of depression is ‘low moods’.
Hence, now you should be aware of the fact that depression is not just a consequence of social pressures and emotional breakdowns, but also of nutritional deficiencies. This could probably answer our question that why low moods occur more during winter. Moreover, sunlight is also linked with good mood and positivity.
The upper safe limit of daily vitamin D intake must be 10,000 I.U., and anything below that can make you prone to develop related symptoms.
Ladies! If your low moods are increasing during your PMS, find symptoms of nutritional deficiencies in your body, especially those which are linked to vitamin D insufficiency.