A recent study shows that eight out of 10 people have Vitamin D deficiency. It makes bones and muscles weak, and also affects other organs.
CHENNAI: When 20-year-old Arthi (name changed) complained of lower back pain continuously, several doctors told her to start exercising and reduce weight. She followed their advice diligently but continued to be in pain...until tests revealed her Vitamin D levels. “Most patients with lower back pain have Vitamin D deficiency,” says Dr Kornad Kosygan, a senior orthopaedic surgeon in the city.
A five-year study by Metropolis Healthcare, with a focus group of people between 0 and 80 showed that eight out of 10 people have Vitamin D deficiency. Also, in a 2015-study in South India by the department of orthopaedics, Christian Medical College, Vellore, found that only eight out of 160 people had adequate vitamin D.
Vitamin D is produced by the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight and is known as ‘sunshine vitamin’. It helps the body use calcium and iron essential for strong bones and muscles. It also aids metabolism. The deficiency can affect people of all ages. While it is common among elders, it is now increasingly diagnosed in youngsters too.
“Everyone needs to have close to 45 minutes of sun light exposure at least twice a week to get the required amount of Vitamin D. But lifestyle has changed. Children do not play out doors anymore. We don’t walk back home from work. We leave for work early to avoid traffic. We use sunscreen to prevent tanning…these are some of the main reasons for the deficiency,” he adds.
Studies also show that people with less melanin in their skin do not have such a deficiency and it is more prone in dark-skinned people. “Surprisingly, more people in India are vitamin D deficient when compared to the US or Canada. Their skin is light and sunlight penetrates easily, whereas we need more exposure to sunlight to enter our skin.”
The main symptom of the deficiency is inexplicable body pain, brittle bones, risk of falling, and excessive fatigue. “Sadly, most doctors write it off as stress. This cannot be seen in X-ray. This is common among youngsters. For elders, we prescribe a routine vitamin D test,” adds Dr Kosygan.
In some cases, the deficiency can lead to obesity too. “Vitamin D enters the body to break down all molecules. When there are not enough vitamins, these molecules turn to fat,” explains Meenakshi Bajaj, dietician, Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Specialty Hospital, Anna Salai.
Modifications in diet can help bring back the levels to normalcy. “The best option is sunlight, but the substitutes for vitamin D in diet are all usually fatty foods like fish — tuna, salmon and organ meat can help in providing adequate vitamin D but they have high saturated fat. For vegetarians, the options are limited. Mushroom and dairy products are the only options,” says Dr Dharini Krishnan, consultant dietician, Heinz Nutrition Foundation India. Unlike the West, where people take fortified foods, we do not have it in India.
It’s wrong to assume that the deficiency will not relapse, after treatment. “Most of them after the course get back to the routine and forget about sun exposure. Naturally, your body will become deficient again,” says Dr Kosygan.
One aspect that has not been explored according to Dr Kosygan, is a comparative study between people in the urban and rural areas. “Even wage workers and policemen have vitamin D deficiency. But we don’t know of this deficiency among the rural population,” he says.