Summer is certainly the most carefree season of the year, but fall is when everything gets back on track. Routines are reinstated, making it the perfect time to restart any healthy habits that may have been forgotten during summer, like meal-prepping or going to bed at a decent hour.
The back-to-business mentality of fall makes it the perfect time to check in with your personal health. Identifying any pitfalls in your physical or mental health can be helpful so that you know what new habits should be integrated into your routine to better support them. But you can’t fully identify any pitfalls in your physical health without a proper assessment with your healthcare provider.
There’s one blood test, in particular, that doctors we talked to say it’s important to ask for during your appointment. It could clue you in on a vitamin deficiency that’s common this time of year that can lead to feeling fatigued and depressed—two symptoms that many commonly believe are inevitable to experience during fall and winter. Spoiler: They aren’t!
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The Most Important Blood Test To Get This Fall, Doctors Say
Dr. Vivian Chen, MBBS, MCRP, MRCGP, a UK-trained physician with 15 years of clinical practice and the creator of the Plateful Health newsletter, says that if you’re meeting with your healthcare provider this fall, don’t leave without getting your vitamin D levels checked. She explains that the risk of being deficient in this nutrient increases during fall and winter.
“Latitude and season affect both the quantity and quality of sunlight reaching the earth’s surface, especially in the UVB region of the spectrum, which is the part responsible for making vitamin D in our skin,” Dr. Chen says.
She points to a scientific study showing that human skin exposed to sunlight on cloudless days in Boston from November through February produced no previtamin D3. “If you live north of Atlanta in the US or north of Rome in Europe, the likelihood is that your vitamin D levels may drop during fall and winter,” she says, adding that one in four Americans don’t get enough vitamin D.
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Dr. Mariana Sofia Riveros, MD, a general physician at SHA Wellness Clinic Mexico, explains that during summer, most people get enough vitamin D because they are outside a lot, and one major source of vitamin D is sun exposure.
“Think of vitamin D as your ‘reserve tank.’ After summer, many people have decent levels of outdoor activity. But as fall arrives, that tank starts to run low. If you don’t measure it now, by mid-winter you might be running on empty, which can increase fatigue, weaken bones and reduce resilience against infections,” she says. “In my practice, I often see patients with fatigue, low energy or muscle weakness, assuming the cause is hormones, anemia, poor diet or lack of sleep. While those are valid contributors, it is not unusual to find that the missing piece is actually low vitamin D.”
If you live in the northern part of the US, are over 65, have a chronic health condition or are breastfeeding, both doctors say you are at a higher risk for being deficient in vitamin D. When this happens, they say it can lead to a whole slew of symptoms.
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“A lack of vitamin D is like taking the foundation out of a house,” D. Riveros says. She explains that the structure (bones and muscles) becomes unstable because low vitamin D weakens bone mineralization, and the “electrical wiring” (immune and hormonal balance) doesn’t function properly because vitamin D receptors are present in immune cells, muscle and the brain. “Over time, this imbalance can lead to chronic fatigue, pain or recurrent illnesses,” she adds.
Dr. Chen says that other symptoms of not getting enough vitamin D include hair loss, mood changes (such as feeling depressed) and muscle cramps.
There are long-term impacts of not getting enough vitamin D too. Dr. Chen says that scientific research has shown that being deficient in vitamin D may increase the risk of dementia, multiple sclerosis and Crohn’s disease. “A fascinating study just published suggested that vitamin D could even slow aging,” she says, highlighting a scientific study taking into account 25,000 U.S. adults.
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How To Get Enough Vitamin D in Fall and Winter
Certainly, no one wants to feel run-down all winter. Since it can be hard to get enough vitamin D through sun exposure this time of year, both doctors recommend prioritizing other ways to get it, specifically diet.
Dr. Chen says that good food sources of vitamin D include:
- Oily fish (like salmon, sardines and rainbow trout)
- Beef liver
- Mushrooms
- Egg yolks
You may also want to consider taking a vitamin D supplement. If so, Dr. Riveros recommends taking one with vitamin D3 and K2 (or taking a vitamin D3 supplement and a K2 supplement).
“The addition of K2 supports calcium metabolism, reducing the risk of vascular calcification while protecting bone density,” she says, adding that vitamin K2 can be especially beneficial for women in perimenopause because this is when bone strength and hormone balance become more vulnerable.
Dr. Chen adds that magnesium is another crucial nutrient to prioritize during fall and winter. “Adequate magnesium can help your body utilize vitamin D more effectively. Around 50% of American adults are not getting enough magnesium, so make sure you have enough of it,” she says.
Ensuring you’re getting enough vitamin D now is a great step to ensuring your immunity, energy levels and mood don’t suffer during winter. Consider this your sign to schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider to get your levels checked today!
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Sources:
- Dr. Vivian Chen, MBBS, MCRP, MRCGP, UK-trained physician with 15 years of clinical practice and the creator of the Plateful Health newsletter
- Dr. Mariana Sofia Riveros, MD, general physician at SHA Wellness Clinic Mexico
