The Connection Between Vitamin D & Fatigue
By living here in North America all of us spend very little time if any near the equator. That’s not much of a problem, but one thing that people who live in Central America get a whole lot more of is sunshine and all the natural Vitamin D that comes with that. All the vitamins have their own values as far as contributing to health, but Vitamin D in particular is a real powerhouse. Listing all of the good things it does would require an entire blog entry of its own, but what we will talk about today is how Vitamin D is needed for cells to produce energy. The connection between a lack of Vitamin D and fatigue is real.
This can be true for either gender, but women tend to suffer more when it comes to Vitamin D deficiency and fatigue. This can be especially true for women who wake up feeling unrested and not energized for the day despite having slept plenty. Others will do fine in the AM but will be completely ‘out of gas’ by 2 in the afternoon, and that is long before they are done for the day. If you find that this trend is much more pronounced during winter months and then much less so in summertime then there may be a line between levels of Vitamin D and fatigue for you.
Conversely, if you feel constantly tired evenly all throughout the year then the reason for overtiredness and lack of energy may be anemia. Many people do have iron deficiencies, and again that is also more common for women too. Chronic fatigue from vitamin or iron deficiencies can be made worse if the person also has chronic stress and doesn’t have effective ways to manage and relieve it. Vitamin D and fatigue plus other different results from it are also more common for people who have more melanin giving them darker skin. Indians and African Americans are a good example.
We’ll look more at the connection between lack of Vitamin D and fatigue in more detail here, and we’ll also talk about what you can do to remedy that if getting lots of sunshine is a geographical impossibility like it is for most of us. Vitamin D deficiency and fatigue may be tough for some folks to avoid.
Mitochondria Matters
Let’s get right to the physiological workings of how not enough Vitamin D and fatigue tend to go hand in hand. It has everything to do with mitochondria, as these cells that generate oxygen required for the blood rely on Vitamin D to do that generating. The other absolutely necessity from them is carbohydrates taken in via your diet, and all of this is very important as mitochondria are relied upon to deliver 90% of the cellular energy required by the body. So, if they don’t get the building blocks they need, the work isn’t going to get done. At least not enough of it.
You might also be interested to learn that properly function mitochondria contribute to body heat production, so if you’ve chronically chilled or you have cold feet or hands all the time that may also be because of poor mitochondria function. These little power plants also work to fight free radicals, so both women AND men who want to fight premature skin aging as much as possible may want to supplement their Vitamin D levels too. Yes, Vitamin D and fatigue is just one of the many undesirable connections we can make when talking about not having enough of this important vitamin.
Get It in You
So of course, the solution if you determine you’re Vitamin D deficient is to get more of it in you, and if hours spent basking in the sun at a beach is either unrealistic or entirely impossible then you need to take an oral Vitamin D supplement. Many people address their Vitamin D and fatigue issues by taking one or two drops of extra-strength Vitamin D every day, and you can also get more of Vitamin D from your diet by eating more fish, eggs, and also by taking fish liver oil – something that everyone should be doing as it is because of the way it provides the brain fats you need too.
There’s more to getting your daily dose of Vitamin D, and it is something many people need to focus more on during the winter because of the reasons we talked about earlier. If you don’t have enough of it then you’ll likely see Vitamin D and fatigue becoming a cause-and-effect scenario for you, but fortunately it is not difficult to address this shortage with simple supplementation.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The above information is intended to increase awareness of health information and does not suggest treatment or diagnosis. This information is not a substitute for individual medical attention and should not be construed to indicate that use of the drug is safe, appropriate, or effective for you. See your health care professional for medical advice and treatment.
