Find out if your symptoms are due to a vitamin D deficiency

You eat a balanced diet, get plenty of sleep, sweat several times a week, and slather on the SPF before catching any rays. You're making healthy choices in nearly every aspect of your life, but could be neglecting one very important issue, vitamin D deficiency, that increases your risk for high blood pressure and diabetes. In fact, one billion people worldwide have a vitamin D deficiency, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.

Excessive sweating

Excessive sweating is one of the first noticeable symptoms, so if you're "glowing" while your activity level remains steady, your temperature is close to 98.6° and you're in a moderate temperature environment, you may want to consider a vitamin D test.

Noticeable—and unexpected—weakness

Muscle strength isn't just a matter of pumping iron. While having a vitamin D deficiency can leave you feeling overly exhausted, even when you're able to intake proper vitamin D helps you maintain power in every fiber of your being. Harvard researchers have linked vitamin D supplementation with increased muscle control. Promising news: Within just six months of supplementation, D-linked muscle weakness can be eliminated, according to a Western Journal of Medicine study.

Broken bones

You stop building bone mass around age 30, and a lack of vitamin D can speed up or worsen osteoporosis symptoms, according to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It's nearly impossible for anyone to satisfy vitamin D needs through diet. It really requires to take supplements containing vitamin D, according to the pharmacists study.

Chronic pain

Some people may experience aches and pains in the bones, known as osteomalacia. Those who are diagnosed with arthritis or fibromyalgia may actually be shy of enough D, as a deficiency can cause joints and muscles to ache, too. If your discomfort lasts for several weeks, see your doctor as soon as possible. Also worth noting: adequate vitamin D can prevent post-workout pain and increase the speed of muscle recovery.

A down-in-the-dumps mood

A depression diagnosis is often actually linked to a shortage of vitamin D. While scientists believe that the mineral may work in the same brain areas—and impact the same hormones, like serotonin—as those that affect mood.