How long does it take to recover from vitamin D deficiency?

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient that helps in the growth and development of our bones and teeth. It also improves resistance to certain diseases by strengthening our immune system.

Our body naturally produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, but we can also get it through supplements and certain foods.

Vitamin D is essential for both our mental and physical health as studies have shown it can alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety.

If we develop a vitamin D deficiency, we may start experiencing side effects such as bone pain, muscle weakness, depression, and fatigue. But how long does it take to recover from these symptoms and how quickly does vitamin D work?

How long does it take to recover from a vitamin D deficiency?

How long it takes to recover from a vitamin D deficiency depends on the nutritional deficit. People with a very large vitamin D deficiency might start recovering after a few days, while for those with a small vitamin D deficiency, it might take one to two weeks before they start feeling healthier and more energetic. Full recovery can take up to 12 weeks.

What is vitamin D?

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays a role in many essential bodily functions. There are two forms of vitamin D in foods and supplements:

• Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol): found in some mushrooms
• Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol): found in fatty fish, fish liver oil, and egg yolks

Fortunately, significant amounts of vitamin D can also be produced in your skin when exposed to UV rays from sunlight. Your body fat stores excess vitamin D for later use.

Almost every cell in your body has a receptor for vitamin D. It is essential for many processes, including bone health, immune system function, and reducing inflammation. It also helps the body absorb calcium.

Vitamin D3 is considered the best form of vitamin D, as D3 is absorbed more quickly by the body.

What is vitamin D good for?

The main functions of vitamin D are:

• Calcium and glucose metabolism
• Regulating blood levels of the minerals calcium and phosphate
• Enabling the growth of strong and healthy bones
• Enabling healthy muscles
• Controlling and stimulating cell growth
• Managing the inflammatory response
• Stimulating the immune system and antibody release

What exactly is a vitamin D deficiency?

If you have a vitamin D deficiency, the amount of vitamin D circulating in your body has dropped below the level needed for optimal health.

There is much variation in optimal levels: older people, for example, need more vitamin D than younger people, while residents of colder countries need more than residents of areas where the sun always shines.

But most nutritionists classify a blood level of 20-30 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) as healthy, and anything below 12 ng/ml as an indication of deficiency. Some medical authorities classify anything below 20ng/ml as a deficiency.

Seniors need more vitamin D.

Similarly, most nutritionists view 400-800 international units (IU) of vitamin D per day as a minimum for maintaining health. But that is only the baseline, and anyone with an established deficiency should aim for an intake of 1000 IU and more per day.

4,000 IU of vitamin D per day is considered the safe upper limit for most people. An international unit is the basic unit of measurement used in pharmacology, the branch of medicine concerned with the action of drugs and similar substances.

Vitamin D deficiencies are surprisingly common. As many as one in five adults and children in Europe have lower-than-ideal values at some point, due to poor diet and insufficient sun exposure, for example. As you can imagine, the latter is particularly a problem in the winter months.

Vitamin D deficiencies are surprisingly common.

How do you recognize a vitamin D deficiency?

In the most extreme cases, a vitamin D deficiency can cause severe bone abnormalities, such as rickets (in children) and osteoporosis (in adults): this is because the vitamin is so important for the absorption of calcium from which bones are made.

Fortunately, such a deficiency is rare. More common symptoms include:

• General aches, a feeling of not being well
• Disproportionate fatigue, excessive tiredness
• Muscle tremors and cramps
• Difficulty getting up or climbing stairs
• Unstable walking
• Bone pain and tenderness in areas most affected by movement, such as the lower back, hips, thighs, and feet
• Slow wound healing
• Mood disorders, depression

Even if children avoid severe symptoms such as rickets, children with a vitamin D deficiency may exhibit the following:

• Irritability
• Dental problems and delayed development
• Respiratory disorders
• Increased susceptibility to infections
• Delayed growth

Also read: Does vitamin D deficiency cause psychological complaints?

What treatments are there for vitamin D deficiencies?

If you are experiencing the vitamin D deficiency symptoms described above, be sure to speak with your GP. They will likely refer you for blood tests to determine if you indeed have a vitamin D deficiency.

Fortunately, in all but the most extreme cases, treatment is simple and straightforward: bring more vitamin D into your life.

If you have a clear deficiency, doctors will likely suggest supplements or cod liver oil. They will also probably advise you to adjust your diet with vitamin D-rich foods such as:

• Fatty fish like tuna, mackerel, and salmon
• Mushrooms
• Egg yolks
• Red meat
• Fortified foods

The vitamin D content of wild-caught salmon and wild-grown mushrooms is usually several times higher than that of farm-raised varieties, thanks to a combination of better nutrients and higher sun exposure.

Free-range chicken eggs also contain several times more vitamin D than battery-cage chicken eggs for the same reason.

Fortified foods have additional nutrients added during the production process to promote general health. Vitamins B and D are often found in breakfast cereals, soy milk, orange juice, and other products.

Vitamin D-fortified eggs are produced by chickens that have been given special feed.

Sun exposure is also important. As you may have noticed above, the number of fresh foods with high vitamin D content is quite limited and not particularly vegan-friendly.

Most people get the majority of the vitamin D in their body from sunlight. This is more difficult in winter, but not impossible: watch for breaks in the clouds and go outside when the sun appears.

How quickly does vitamin D work?

Generally, it takes a few weeks after taking daily vitamin D supplements for vitamin D levels in the body to rise. It is expected that every 1000 IU of vitamin D3 taken daily will increase blood levels of 25(OH)D by 10 ng/ml after a few weeks.

However, it can take months for the symptoms of a severe vitamin D deficiency, such as rickets in children, to disappear. So it all depends on how low the vitamin D levels were initially and a number of individual factors.

Obesity, polluted environments, and malabsorption syndromes (such as Crohn's disease) are just some of the factors that can prolong the time it takes for vitamin D supplements to raise vitamin D levels.

Research has shown that vitamin D insufficiency resolves with 12 weeks of weekly high doses of vitamin D.

How can I test my vitamin D level?

When it comes to optimizing your vitamin D levels, you can even buy a vitamin D test to check your level at home. Your blood sample will then be professionally analyzed in a laboratory, and the results will allow you to quickly adjust your diet.

Conclusion

Vitamin D plays a very important role in one's mental and physical well-being. Research has shown that vitamin D helps counteract feelings of despondency and anxiety.

The recovery speed depends on the severity of the vitamin D deficiency. People with a significant vitamin D deficiency can experience improvement within a few days, while for those with a milder deficiency, recovery can take up to two weeks.

Read more about: Vitamin D side effects