Fahmida Hashem :
Vitamin D deficiency is a common health problem now days in Bangladesh. Over a billion people worldwide are vitamin D deficient or insufficient.
Yet no organization or governmental body has declared a health emergency to warn the public about the urgent need of achieving sufficient vitamin D blood levels.
This pandemic of hypovitaminosis D can mainly be attributed to lifestyle (for example, reduced outdoor activities) and environmental (for example, air pollution) factors that reduce exposure to sunlight, which is required for ultraviolet-B (UVB)-induced vitamin D production in the skin
This major public health problem affects individuals across all life stages, especially pregnant women, neonates, infants, children and the elderly. Vitamin D, also described as ‘the Sun Vitamin’ is a steroid with hormone like activity.
It regulates the functions of over 200 genes and is essential for growth and development. Usually 50 to 90 per cent of vitamin D is produced by sunshine exposure of skin and the remainder comes from the diet.
In Breastfed infants Vitamin D requirements cannot ordinarily be met by human milk alone which provides <25 IU/L to 78 IU/L. Vitamin D content of human milk is related to the mother's vitamin D status; therefore mothers who supplement with high doses of vitamin D may have high levels of vitamin D in their milk. Older adults are at high risk of developing vitamin D insufficiency because of aging. Their skin cannot synthesize vitamin D as efficiently, they are likely to spend more time indoors, and they may have inadequate intakes of the vitamin. Homebound individuals, women who wear long robes and head coverings for religious reasons, and people with occupations that limit sun exposure are unlikely to obtain adequate vitamin D from sunlight. People with dark skin, People with fat malabsorption and People who are obese or who have undergone gastric bypass surgery are suffer from VDD.
Vitamin D3 is believed to play a role in controlling the immune system, increasing neuromuscular function and improving mood, protecting the brain against toxic chemicals, and potentially reducing pain. Vitamin D3 deficiency can result in obesity, diabetes, hypertension, depression, cognitive impairment, chronic fatigue syndrome, osteoporosis and neuro-degenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease. Vitamin D deficiency may even contribute to the development of cancers, especially breast, prostate, and colon cancers. Exposure to sunshine each day helps human body to manufacture the required amount of vitamin D.
Vitamin D deficiency results in abnormalities in calcium, phosphorus, and bone metabolism. VDD causes a decrease in the absorption of dietary calcium and phosphorus, resulting in an increase in PTH levels. The PTH-mediated increase in osteoclastic activity creates local foci of bone weakness and causes a generalized decrease in bone mineral density (BMD), resulting in osteopenia and osteoporosis. An inadequate calcium-phosphorus product causes a mineralization defect in the skeleton. In young children who have little mineral in their skeleton, this defect results in a variety of skeletal deformities classically known as rickets. VDD also causes muscle weakness; affected children have difficulty in standing and walking, whereas the elderly have increasing sway and more frequent falls, thereby increasing their risk of fracture.
To prevent vitamin D deficiency, one should spend 15 to 20 minutes daily in the sunshine with 40 per cent of the skin surface exposed. High concentration of melanin in the skin slows the production of vitamin D; similarly aging greatly reduces skin production of vitamin D. Also you should eat vitamin D rich food like- cod liver oil, mushroom, oily fish, fish eggs, fortified cereals, tofu, egg & soya.
Numbers of people with VDD are continuously increasing; the importance of this hormone in overall health and the prevention of chronic diseases are at the forefront of research. VDD is very common in all age groups. Very few foods contain vitamin D therefore guidelines recommended supplementation of vitamin D at tolerable UL levels.
It is also suggested to measure the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level as the initial diagnostic test in patients at risk for deficiency. Treatment with either vitamin D2 or vitamin D3 is recommended for the deficient patients. Along this long term strategies to address this deficiency problem should include public education, national health policies for screening and prevention through food fortification, and treatment with vitamin D supplementation.
Vitamin D deficiency is growing problem in Bangladesh. Most of the people don’t aware of this. So this is necessary for us to build up some awareness like government and private campaign, advertising in radio-television, press add e.tc. Health professionals like doctor, nutritionists should encourage the general people to fulfill the requirement of vitamin D. n
Vitamin D deficiency is a common health problem now days in Bangladesh. Over a billion people worldwide are vitamin D deficient or insufficient.
Yet no organization or governmental body has declared a health emergency to warn the public about the urgent need of achieving sufficient vitamin D blood levels.
This pandemic of hypovitaminosis D can mainly be attributed to lifestyle (for example, reduced outdoor activities) and environmental (for example, air pollution) factors that reduce exposure to sunlight, which is required for ultraviolet-B (UVB)-induced vitamin D production in the skin
This major public health problem affects individuals across all life stages, especially pregnant women, neonates, infants, children and the elderly. Vitamin D, also described as ‘the Sun Vitamin’ is a steroid with hormone like activity.
It regulates the functions of over 200 genes and is essential for growth and development. Usually 50 to 90 per cent of vitamin D is produced by sunshine exposure of skin and the remainder comes from the diet.
In Breastfed infants Vitamin D requirements cannot ordinarily be met by human milk alone which provides <25 IU/L to 78 IU/L. Vitamin D content of human milk is related to the mother's vitamin D status; therefore mothers who supplement with high doses of vitamin D may have high levels of vitamin D in their milk. Older adults are at high risk of developing vitamin D insufficiency because of aging. Their skin cannot synthesize vitamin D as efficiently, they are likely to spend more time indoors, and they may have inadequate intakes of the vitamin. Homebound individuals, women who wear long robes and head coverings for religious reasons, and people with occupations that limit sun exposure are unlikely to obtain adequate vitamin D from sunlight. People with dark skin, People with fat malabsorption and People who are obese or who have undergone gastric bypass surgery are suffer from VDD.
Vitamin D3 is believed to play a role in controlling the immune system, increasing neuromuscular function and improving mood, protecting the brain against toxic chemicals, and potentially reducing pain. Vitamin D3 deficiency can result in obesity, diabetes, hypertension, depression, cognitive impairment, chronic fatigue syndrome, osteoporosis and neuro-degenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease. Vitamin D deficiency may even contribute to the development of cancers, especially breast, prostate, and colon cancers. Exposure to sunshine each day helps human body to manufacture the required amount of vitamin D.
Vitamin D deficiency results in abnormalities in calcium, phosphorus, and bone metabolism. VDD causes a decrease in the absorption of dietary calcium and phosphorus, resulting in an increase in PTH levels. The PTH-mediated increase in osteoclastic activity creates local foci of bone weakness and causes a generalized decrease in bone mineral density (BMD), resulting in osteopenia and osteoporosis. An inadequate calcium-phosphorus product causes a mineralization defect in the skeleton. In young children who have little mineral in their skeleton, this defect results in a variety of skeletal deformities classically known as rickets. VDD also causes muscle weakness; affected children have difficulty in standing and walking, whereas the elderly have increasing sway and more frequent falls, thereby increasing their risk of fracture.
To prevent vitamin D deficiency, one should spend 15 to 20 minutes daily in the sunshine with 40 per cent of the skin surface exposed. High concentration of melanin in the skin slows the production of vitamin D; similarly aging greatly reduces skin production of vitamin D. Also you should eat vitamin D rich food like- cod liver oil, mushroom, oily fish, fish eggs, fortified cereals, tofu, egg & soya.
Numbers of people with VDD are continuously increasing; the importance of this hormone in overall health and the prevention of chronic diseases are at the forefront of research. VDD is very common in all age groups. Very few foods contain vitamin D therefore guidelines recommended supplementation of vitamin D at tolerable UL levels.
It is also suggested to measure the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level as the initial diagnostic test in patients at risk for deficiency. Treatment with either vitamin D2 or vitamin D3 is recommended for the deficient patients. Along this long term strategies to address this deficiency problem should include public education, national health policies for screening and prevention through food fortification, and treatment with vitamin D supplementation.
Vitamin D deficiency is growing problem in Bangladesh. Most of the people don’t aware of this. So this is necessary for us to build up some awareness like government and private campaign, advertising in radio-television, press add e.tc. Health professionals like doctor, nutritionists should encourage the general people to fulfill the requirement of vitamin D. n
(Fahmida Hashem, Consulting nutritionist & CEO, Miss Nutritionist-Weight Loss Center)
