Vitamin D crunch in sunny Oman

Though there is abundant sunlight during the summer months in Oman, the residents are not getting enough of it due to their sedentary and indoor lifestyle

Times News Service MUSCAT: Sun-starved Omanis are being urged to top up their vitamin D levels this summer to fight against diseases such as colon cancer, breast cancer, heart disease, Type I diabetes and common flu, a health expert said yesterday.

M. Mohamed Essa, assistant professor, Department of Food and Nutrition, Sultan Qaboos University, said that sunlight may be in abundance during the summer months but the residents are not getting enough of it.

That is one of the reasons why people are suffering from vitamin D deficiency all year round — but it grows worse in the summer months of May, June and July as soaring summer temperatures keep many indoors.

“It is not only because of the summer heat; it is also the for rea- sons like lack of dietary intake, spending more time indoor and avoiding sunlight exposure, even during winters. Not only in Oman, but in other Middle East countries too people are not exposed to sunlight and there is a need to create awareness about it,” he said.

According to recent studies, vitamin D levels are linked with most of the neuro degenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s.

In a recent study in Oman, researchers measured vitamin D levels of 206 healthy volunteers in Muscat, who were aged between 18 and 55 years. It was found that most of these volunteers lacked vitamin D.

The mean vitamin D level was 13.1 ng/ml, with levels being slightly higher in men than women. Thirty-nine per cent of the participants had levels less than 10ng/ml (severe deficiency), 87.5 per cent had levels less than 20ng/ ml (deficiency) and 98.5 per cent had levels less than 30ng/ml.

The importance of vitamin D lies in its ability to absorb calcium and phosphorus, which are nutrients that play important role in protecting human bones and the strength of muscles, besides helping in fighting diseases such as colon cancer, breast cancer, heart disease, Type I diabetes, and the common flu.

This is simply because they suf- fer severe vitamin D deficiency due to lack of exposure to the sun on a daily basis.

“Prolonged stay indoors or in places away from sunlight, the use of shades on vehicle windshields and consuming junk food low in nutrients, all these factors contribute to this deficiency,” he said.

Experts say vitamin D deficiency in humans is identified through various symptoms such as pain in the muscles and bones, especially in the lower back, chronic headaches, or neck pain.

Other psychological symptoms that signal deficiency include depression, fatigue, increased muscle aches, sleep disorder, poor attention and concentration, memory impairment, a feeling of fear, high irritability and sexual dysfunction.

Mohamed Essa pointed out that the best time for sun exposure to maximise vitamin D absorption is in the early hours of morning.

“The recommended period for exposure to the sun is half-anhour, three to four days a week,” he claimed.