A little sunlight goes a long way towards better health

Research shows that a staggering 78 per cent of UAE residents have a vitamin D deficiency. We look at what we can do to ncrease our levels of the vital vitamin.

People need an average of 10 to 15 minutes of sun exposure a day, three to five times a week. Vidhyaa For The National

Despite living in what feels like perpetual sunlight, we’re simply not getting enough vitamin D in the UAE. Vitamin D deficiencies are particularly prevalent here because people tend to avoid the sun’s rays and it’s those rays that help the body produce vitamin D.

According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, 90 per cent of UAE residents suffer from vitamin D deficiency, while figures released at the International Conference on Vitamin D Deficiency, held in March in Abu Dhabi, show that 78 per cent of UAE residents are deficient. Either way, we have one of the highest rates of vitamin D deficiency in the world, which means we’re not absorbing enough calcium – we need vitamin D to do that, and we’re increasing the risk of osteomalacia (softening of the bones) in our adults.

“Part of the reason the numbers are so high in the UAE is because of traditional clothing. Both men and women, but especially women, are covered from head to toe and are reluctant to be outside during the hot weather, so they don’t get enough sunlight at all,” says Dr Khashayar Ghiassi, a consultant dermatologist at the Dubai Medical Village in Jumeirah 3.

“Those with fair skin need exposure for just seven minutes a day, three to five times a week, to harvest the required vitamin D from sunlight,” says Ghiassi. “All it takes is to expose 20 per cent of our bodies to sunlight.”

Dr Afrozul Haq, senior clinical scientist and head of referral services at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, says 90 per cent of our vitamin D intake should normally be obtained from direct exposure to the sun. “But this is not practicable in the UAE as a result of people’s lifestyles of choosing a trip to the mall rather than a bike ride outdoors, working indoors for long hours, clothing habits due to social norms, and the absence of a clear fortification policy to ensure sufficient vitamin D levels in all products,” says Haq.

A deficiency in vitamin D has broader consequences than those already mentioned. It has been linked to an array of common chronic diseases, which include skeletal diseases, metabolic disorders, asthma in children, cancer, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune diseases, infections and cognitive disorders. But that’s not all.

Dr Dina Mohamed, a GP at Al Salama Hospital in Abu Dhabi, says she sees “many” patients who are deficient in vitamin D every week. “Patients come in with complaints like extreme fatigue or depression, and often when we run blood tests, we find out that the cause is a lack of vitamin D – it’s very common,” she says.

In addition to fatigue or chronic tiredness and depression or listlessness, Mohamed says that muscle, joint and bone pain and overall weakness are common complaints of patients who are not getting enough vitamin D.

“It is not only women who wear the hijab and abaya who are at risk, although they are the majority. Emirati men are also covered from head to toe when they wear traditional clothing, and it is in our nature here in the UAE to avoid being outdoors in the sun anyway, so we are never exposed. It’s a big problem,” she says.

Another symptom of vitamin D deficiency, in infants especially, is a sweaty head. Dr Rania Zakaria, a specialist paediatrician at Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Cure Diagnostic Center, says newborns and young babies who sweat a lot on their head should be tested for a vitamin D deficiency. “For children up to age 3, it’s good to ask parents if the child sweats too much from their head when they are napping, especially,” says Zakaria. “It is one of the signs we look for that will indicate if the child needs to be getting more vitamin D. I always prescribe vitamin D supplements for newborns; it’s better to be on the safe side.”

Zakaria also advises parents of newborns to place their babies in a patch of sunlight. “When the newborn is sleeping, just move their crib or basket into the sun for 10 to 20 minutes a day. It will also help fight jaundice.”

Excessive sweating in adults is also an indication that a vitamin D deficiency exists, and consequently, a calcium deficiency, says Mohamed. “Night sweats are a symptom of vitamin D deficiency, and also head and forehead sweating.”

If you have darker skin, are over 50, have milk allergies, are vegan, a smoker, overweight or obese, and if you have a gastrointestinal condition that affects your ability to absorb fat (such as Crohn’s disease, coeliac and non-coeliac gluten sensitivities and inflammatory bowel disease), you are at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency.

Experts agree that the solution is to spend more time in the sun, schedule a blood test that will check vitamin D levels and take a supplement if needed.

“The supplement should be prescribed by a doctor to ensure you are taking the right dosage. Some need it daily, some should take concentrated pills once a week or once a month, and there are different doses depending on a child’s age also,” says Mohamed.

And although natural food sources containing vitamin D do exist – fatty fish like salmon, egg yolks and beef liver – Mohamed says a diet rich in vitamin D does not replace the benefit of sun exposure.

Sun exposure is crucial and without it the only alternative is a supplement that specifically contains vitamin D3.

“Food has vitamin D2, but the body needs both types,” says Mohamed.

Besides calcium, vitamin D is responsible for the absorption of a variety of minerals and other vitamins, so without this nutrient, your body cannot get the resources it needs to function properly and becomes more susceptible to disease.

“As doctors, we cannot stress enough the need to have optimum vitamin levels,” says Mohamed. “Any kind of long-term deficiency will always present a problem later.”