Close Banner

This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.

5 Sneaky Signs That You're Drained Of Vitamin D & How To Manage It

Author:

Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN

March 01, 2024

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

By Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN is a Registered Dietician Nutritionist with a bachelor’s degree in nutrition from Texas Christian University and a master’s in nutrition interventions, communication, and behavior change from Tufts University. She lives in Newport Beach, California, and enjoys connecting people to the food they eat and how it influences health and wellbeing.

Woman who is outside in a hat in the cold

Image by Brianna Lee / Stocksy

March 01, 2024

We carefully vet all products and services featured on mindbodygreen using our commerce guidelines. Our selections are never influenced by the commissions earned from our links.

The gray skies and frigid temps of winter can not only be a massive mood killer, but they can also drain your vitamin D levels.

At any given time, about 29% of U.S. adults 1 are deficient in vitamin D (have blood levels less than 20 ng/mL), and 41%1 have insufficient vitamin D levels (less than 30 ng/mL). But the sun is a major—although imperfect—source of vitamin D 2 for most folks as the skin converts some of the UV light into this vital vitamin. So, the limited sun exposure from shorter days and less intense rays can make an already iffy vitamin D situation worse in the winter.

Here are five signs this season has taken a toll on your vitamin D levels:

You feel run-down

Low energy or occasional fatigue is a common (but little-known) indicator of vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D has multiple functions in the body, and one of them is to help out the powerhouse of your cells—the mitochondria. Not having enough vitamin D in your system can disrupt mitochondrial efficiency and leave you, your muscles, and your brain 3 feeling subpar.

Your immune system isn't feeling top-notch

Germs run rampant during the winter. And your immune system may be feeling a bit run-down as well.

Vitamin D plays an outsized role in modulating the body's innate and adaptive immune responses.* In other words, immune cells need D 4 to efficiently respond to threats. And a low vitamin D status indicates that your body's defense system isn't as equipped as it could be.

You have trouble sleeping

Are you tossing and turning when you get into bed? Or wake frequently throughout the night?

Well, research shows that a vitamin D deficiency may influence your sleep patterns (as vitamin D receptors are found in parts of the brain that regulate the sleep-wake cycle) and hurt your sleep quality and duration 5.

Your mood dampens

A suboptimal vitamin D status may be a contributing factor to your winter blues.

Vitamin D and the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin 6 are closely intertwined. Healthy serotonin production supports feelings of well-being. Low vitamin D levels are linked to a harder time balancing mood 7. This holds true for women who experience volatile mood changes around their menstrual cycle according to physiologist and nutrition scientist Stacy Sims, Ph.D.

You feel absentminded

Vitamin D receipts are located throughout the nervous system (including the brain which is why it influences your mood).* But it also plays a more general role in cognition 8, and low levels appear to be linked to difficulties concentrating, including brain fog.

How to raise your vitamin D levels

Now, you can't rely on the (hopefully) sunnier days ahead to pull your vitamin D levels from the trenches. While some foods contain vitamin D (fortified dairy products, sardines, some mushrooms, and salmon), you can't rely on diet alone to correct this inadequacy.

vitamin D3 potency+

Incorporating a high-quality vitamin D supplement into your routine is definitely the way to go. mindbodygreen's vitamin D3 potency+ is primed to help you reach and maintain optimal vitamin D status (considered to be 50 ng/mL) by delivering 5,000 IU of algal-derived vitamin D3 along with healthy, organic fats like avocado oil, extra-virgin olive oil, and flaxseed oil to further aid absorption.*

And it works. Many customers see their vitamin D levels start to rise—even if they were stubbornly low to begin with—after taking this supplement consistently.*

The takeaway

Vitamin D levels notoriously run low throughout the year, but especially as we emerge from winter's hibernation.

If you think your vitamin D levels are struggling after this winter, consider checking your levels via a simple blood test. You can talk with your healthcare provider about this or opt for an at-home option.

And reach for a supplement like vitamin D3 potency+ to really move the needle on your vitamin D status.

If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking medications, consult with your doctor before starting a supplement routine. It is always optimal to consult with a health care provider when considering what supplements are right for you.