These Are 5 Early Signs Your Body Is Low on Vitamin D

Why your vitamin D levels drop in winter

Vitamin D is often called the sunshine vitamin, and for good reason: your skin makes most of it when sunlight falls on it. But from roughly November to March, in much of the United States and Europe, the sun sits too low in the sky for your skin to make much vitamin D, even on a bright, clear day. Add coats, scarves and more time indoors, and it is no surprise that surveys have found low vitamin D levels are common by the end of winter.

Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium and phosphate from food, which you need for healthy bones, teeth and muscles. Some people are more likely to run low: older adults, people who spend most of their time indoors, people with darker skin, and people who usually keep their skin covered outdoors. One important note before the list: the signs below are common, easy to miss, and have many other causes. Plenty of people with low levels feel nothing at all. Only a simple blood test can show your level, so treat these signs as a reason to talk to your doctor, not as a diagnosis.

1. Tiredness that doesn't go away: Feeling a bit worn out in winter is normal. Tiredness that remains even after a good night's sleep is one of the signs health services mention most often, and studies have found a link between low vitamin D and fatigue.

2. Aching bones, especially in the lower back: A dull ache in the bones or lower back is another sign commonly linked to low vitamin D, because the vitamin plays a part in keeping bones strong. On the next page: three more signs, including one that many people simply blame on the weather.