![\"Vitamin](\"https:\/\/medilab.km.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doctor-patient-talking-with-copy-space.jpg\")
<\/h2>\nSummer is usually associated with the sun, walks and relaxation, so it seems to many that it is during this period that you can not think about vitamin D at all. But in practice, low levels of vitamin D are detected in June, July and August. The reason is simple: the sunny season in itself does not guarantee that the body will produce enough of this vitamin. Its level is affected not only by sunny days, but also by how much time a person actually spends outdoors, what type of skin they have, whether they are overweight, intestinal, kidney or liver diseases, as well as what medications they take. To assess vitamin D reserves, the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the blood is usually determined - this indicator is considered the main one.<\/p>\n
The most common reason is much more banal than it seems. In the summer, people do see the sun more often, but this does not mean that the skin actually receives sufficient exposure to produce vitamin D. Part of the day is spent in the office, transport, car, at home, in shops or in air-conditioned rooms. Even on vacation, many people sit in the shade, wear closed clothes or constantly use sunscreen. In such a situation, there is a sunny season, but the synthesis of vitamin D is not. That is why low vitamin D in the summer is not at all uncommon.<\/p>\n
People with darker skin produce vitamin D more slowly. This is due to a higher amount of melanin, which reduces the efficiency of vitamin D formation under the influence of the sun. In practice, this means a simple thing: two people can spend the same amount of time outdoors in the summer, but the results of their analysis will be different. Therefore, low levels of vitamin D in the warm season in people with darker skin is a completely real and understandable situation.<\/p>\n
As we age, our skin produces vitamin D less efficiently, and our kidneys are less able to convert it into a form the body can use. This makes older people more likely to be deficient or insufficent, even if they spend the summer quite actively. So for older people, the phrase \u00abI\u2019ve been in the sun\u00bb doesn\u2019t always explain their actual vitamin D levels.<\/p>\n
Another reason that is often overlooked is being overweight or obese. Vitamin D is partly stored in fat tissue, so its level in the blood can be lower. This is why a person can eat normally, spend time in the sun and still get a low test result. This is one reason why the advice to \u00abwalk more\u00bb alone is sometimes not enough.<\/p>\n
<\/h2>\nVitamin D<\/a> belongs to the fat-soluble vitamins, so the state of the digestive system is important for its normal absorption. If a person has intestinal disease or other malabsorption disorders, the level may remain low at any time of the year. This happens, for example, with celiac disease, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis or after operations that change the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. In such cases, simply "walking in the sun" is usually not enough.<\/p>\n Vitamin D doesn\u2019t just enter the body \u2013 it has to go through several stages of transformation. The liver and kidneys are involved in this. If their work is disrupted, vitamin D levels can be low or insufficient even for no apparent reason. That\u2019s why, with a persistently low level, it\u2019s sometimes important to look beyond the obvious and not just look for an explanation in the lack of sun.<\/p>\n Another factor that is easy to overlook is the constant intake of medications. Some medications can affect the absorption or metabolism of vitamin D. If a person regularly takes medications and despite the summer, the level does not increase, it is worth discussing this with a doctor. In such a situation analysis<\/a> often shows not a "strange paradox", but the real effect of medications on metabolism.<\/p>\n Many people think that it is enough to \u00abincrease the intake of healthy foods\u00bb and the problem will be solved. But there are few natural food sources of vitamin D. Most often, these are fatty fish, egg yolks, liver, some mushrooms and specially fortified foods. In real nutrition, most people do not get enough vitamin D from food, especially if solar synthesis is also low. That is why the deficiency can persist even in the summer, if you rely only on your diet.<\/p>\n Vitamin D deficiency doesn't always give you bright symptoms<\/a>. Sometimes a person does not feel anything specific for years. But some people may experience bone pain, muscle weakness, increased fatigue, decreased endurance, more frequent bone fractures, or slower recovery from exertion. Severe deficiency in adults is associated with softening of bone tissue, and prolonged deficiency is associated with decreased bone density and risk of fractures.<\/p>\n It is usually not necessary to check vitamin D \u00abjust in case\u00bb for everyone. But there are groups for whom such an analysis is much more justified. These are older people, people with darker skin, those who rarely spend time in the sun, those who are obese, have intestinal, kidney or liver diseases, have undergone surgery on the gastrointestinal tract, as well as those who have signs of osteopenia, osteoporosis<\/a>, frequent fractures, bone pain or muscle weakness. In such situations, the analysis provides not just a number, but a useful answer that can influence further decisions.<\/p>\nThe liver and kidneys also participate in this process.<\/h2>\n
Some medications also reduce vitamin D levels.<\/h2>\n
It is difficult to cover the deficit with food<\/h2>\n
What symptoms may indicate low vitamin D?<\/h2>\n
Who should especially consider analysis?<\/h2>\n
What kind of analysis is needed?<\/h2>\n