Vitamin D is used by the body to keep the muscles, teeth and bones healthy, said the NHS.
It uses the vitamin to regulate the amount of calcium or phosphate in the body.
Not getting enough vitamin D can lead to severe bone deformities, rickets, or osteomalacia.
You could be at risk of a vitamin D deficiency if you’ve recently put on some weight, it’s been revealed.
Weight gain could be a sign that you need more vitamin D in your diet, scientists have claimed.
Putting on just two pounds could be caused by a vitamin D deficiency, said the US researchers.
The weight gain could be caused by vitamin D impacting fat cells in the body, they added.
“Lower vitamin D levels are associated with more weight gain in older women, but the weight gain was relatively small,” said Dr Erin LeBlanc.
“The study is the first step that we need to evaluate whether vitamin D might be contributing to weight gain.
“Vitamin D could affect where fat cells shrink or get bigger.
“There is a lot that goes into vitamin D levels: sun exposure, age, diet, pigmentation.
“Talk to your primary care providers about screening and whether or not you need to take supplements.”
It’s crucial that everyone knows the warning signs of a vitamin D deficiency, she added.
Identifying and diagnosing the condition early is very important, as the condition raises the risk of a number of complications.
Heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and some autoimmune disorders have all been linked to a vitamin D deficiency, she said.
People over 50 years old are also more likely to develop a vitamin D deficiency.
That’s because the skin doesn’t produce as much vitamin D as people get older.
You can add more vitamin D to your diet by eating more oily fish, red meat, liver, or egg yolks.
Alternatively, try taking a vitamin D supplement. A 10mcg supplement should be enough for most people.
But, taking too much vitamin D over a long period of time could cause too much calcium to build up in the body, and it may damage the heart and kidneys.