80% suffer from vitamin D deficiency
NEW DELHI: Since exposure to sunlight promotes vitamin D synthesis in the skin, most people tend to assume Indians do not need supplementation, but that is not the case.
The country’s premier All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) that has conducted several studies to check the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency found about 80% people in north India suffer from it.
“Over the past 15 years we have conducted many surveys across population base that includes pregnant women, newborns, school-going children and elderly, and nearly 80% in north India showed symptoms of vitamin D deficiency,” said Dr Nikhil Tandon, professor, department of endocrinology and metabolism at AIIMS.
While fair-skinned people need half an hour of morning sun exposure most days of the week, olive and dark-skinned people need at least three to six times this much.
In fact, Metropolis Healthcare – a multinational chain of diagnostic centres — also conducted an inclusive study recently on vitamin D, vitamin B12 and vitamin B9 to observe the deficiency in Indians, and found 81.28% out of the 14,96, 683 tested were vitamin D deficient.
Vitamin D, also known as the sunshine vitamin, makes bone stronger by boosting the absorption of calcium and phosphorus.
So, if you experience irritability, muscle cramps or convulsions, do not dismiss them casually as it could well be an indicator.
Till a decade ago, even doctors assumed people in India do not need supplementation, but increasingly tests show that most people are low on vitamin D levels.
Mrinal Kathuria, 28, west Delhi-based businessman, says he had started experiencing frequent
A number of prominent writers and poets have also returned their awards, holding the central government responsible for what they call rising intolerance in the country.
INSUFFICIENT ng/ml DEFICIENT Less than muscular cramps. “Even a slight jerk would leave me wreathing in pain. I took general vitamin supplements for some time, but when that didn’t help I consulted my doctor,” he says.
The doctor prescribed him a few tests, and the result showed him severely deficient in Vitamin D. “My levels were about 10; normal is 30 ng/ml. My doctor explained the cause of my cramps to be the low vitmin D levels and if not treated it could lead to further complications,” he says.
Kathuria spends nearly 13 hours in office that has virtually no access to sunlight, which his doctor claimed could be a major
Som rushed to the village soon after the incident, alleging the police framed innocent Hindu families and that the ruling Samajwadi Party was favouring the Muslim community. He warned of a backlash and said police action could lead to a repeat of the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots that left more than 60 people dead and displaced thousands.
He was joined by Union tourism minister Mahesh Sharma, who called the murder an accident – remarks that attracted a warning from the BJP leadership.
Amid rising perception contributor to low vitamin D levels. He was put on supplementation and after a couple of months his levels had reached 35.
“If I get 10 people screened, almost all the 10 will have low vitamin D levels. We suspect the problem was always there. It only got aggravated with the prevalence of indoor culture that perhaps explains why even very young have such low levels of the vitamin,” said Dr Tripat Choudhary, senior consultant, department of obstetrics and gynaecology at New Delhi’s Fortis La Femme.
Prolonged deficiency directly impacts the bone and indirectly impacts the heart and other organs because the deposition of calcium in the bone is mediated and facilitated by vitamin D.
The process of vitamin D synthesis takes about 45 minutes, and the best time is between 10am and 2pm, with head, face, limbs and upper part of the body exposed to direct sunlight. It has to be done without a break as the whole process gets reversed if you leave the sun even for 5 minutes. That’s why taking supplements is easier, say experts.
Looking at the magnitude of the problem, Endocrine Society of India will come up with a set of guidelines on vitamin D profile, diagnosis and treatment by year end.
A NUMBER OF PROMINENT WRITERS AND POETS HAVE ALSO RETURNED THEIR AWARDS AGAINST ‘RISING INTOLERANCE’
that sections of the saffron party were backing the perpetrators of the crime, Modi called the incident “unfortunate” and “undesirable” last week and told a poll rally that everyone should come together in the fight against poverty.
But days later, Khattar allegedly told an English newspaper that Muslims could live in India if they gave up beef — comments he denied making later. Sakshi Maharaj has also made several controversial remarks on the issue.