Anyone taking Vitamin D issued important message as warning signs to look out for are revealed

Now that the festivities of spooky season are over, many of us are counting down the days until the festive season.

I mean, let's face it, it's pretty much the only thing that keeps us going amidst the relentless rain, the bone-chilling cold and - of course - the inescapable darkness of these shorter days.

Yep, there's a reason why many of us feel the 'winter blues' and it's all to do with the sun - well, the lack of.

Sunshine is pretty important for our physical health and mental well-being, as it triggers a hormone in our bodies called vitamin D.

Now, the NHS explains that vitamin D helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body, and it is these nutrients which are needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy. It also helps to regulate our mood and our sleep.

So, when the days are shorter and darker, we make less of it, which is why many people stock up on vitamin D supplements during the colder months.

Many of us will no doubt be reaching for the vitamin D in the colder months (Getty Stock Images)

However, anyone taking vitamin D has now been issued an important message as a doctor has revealed the warning signs of deficiency to look out for.

Now, there are a number of causes for vitamin D deficiency, which range from ageing to diet and disease. But, given that sunlight is our main natural source of vitamin D, short winter days and increased cloud cover are one of the primary causes of a drop in our vitamin D levels.

Now, deficiency can show up in several ways, with nutritional therapist Eve Kalinik saying that, first and foremost, an unexplained 'susceptibility to infections and viruses' might be a sign, given that vitamin D is a crucial component of robust immune function.

According to the expert, signs of deficiency may also present as 'bone pain or muscle weakness (since vitamin D helps with the balance of calcium in the body) or even low mood and fatigue, which can often be associated with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)'.

Vitamin D deficiency can show up in a number of ways (Getty Stock Images)

Feeling tired is one of the symptoms people tend to notice first, but because winter brings with it a whole bunch of chaos, including the clocks changing, disrupted sleep or possibly other health considerations like hormonal fluctuations, vitamin D deficiency may be masked.

Such symptoms can domino into one another with fatigue leading to frequent illness, low mood and weight gain.

Additionally, bone loss can also become osteoporosis and osteomalacia, increasing the risk of fractures and breaks, which can be a life-threatening issue in later life. And, in severe cases of deficiency, seizures can occur.

If you're worried you're vitamin D deficient, you can try an at-home blood test, which is readily available and gives a good indication of your current status. A blood test can also let you know exactly how deficient you are.

Find out more about vitamin D on the official NHS website here.