Vitamin D deficiency and people of India.
By DoctorDidi
@DoctorDidi (7018)
India
July 28, 2011 12:08pm CST
You are all probably aware of vitamin D and also know that a mere exposure to sunlight for a few minutes everyday is all that is needed to meet its daily requirement in the human body. But what an irony of fate it is that in a country like India where sunlight is in abundance, we come across a large number of people who are victims of vitamin D deficiency. Though the Government of India is trying her best to cope with this health hazard by providing of vitamin AD oil free of cost to all newly born babies, especially in rural and slum areas, but it seems that all the vulnerable areas are yet to be covered and so there is emergence of new cases all the time. So I think what the situation demands urgently is detection of new and already existing cases with immediate starting of treatment without any further delay. Besides, there should be no compromise or interruption in continuing the preventive measures, rather they should be carried on with fresh vigour and enthusiasm with inclusion of any area left uncovered so long and there should be full utilization of all the mass media available to make people well aware of the dreaded effects of vitamin D deficiency. If we all come forward and the government is serious enough to combat this health problem, I am sure that days are not far away when we will be able to get rid of this grave health problem totally. What’s your opinion in this regard?
3 responses
@petersum (4522)
• United States
28 Jul 11
It is a religious problem, not a government one! Women in particular or forced to remain indoors or to cover their bodies completely when going outside. No sunshine ever reaches their flesh!
Vitamins in oil? Yes I've seen that nonsense too! No one, especially babies, consumes raw cooking oil, and as soon as it is heated, the vitamins are destroyed.
What you haven't mentioned is the natural shortage of the mineral zinc in western parts of India and Pakistan. This has a much more severe effect on the population.
If you want to talk about what the government is doing, just look to see what grants they are receiving from the various UN agencies to highlight such problems!
@DoctorDidi (7018)
• India
28 Jul 11
Women may be forced to remain indoors. But what's about the babies? I think they are not forced to remain indoors. It may be that their living places are in such conditions that sunlight cannot reach those areas properly. And so the babies are sufferers from rickets.
@petersum (4522)
• United States
28 Jul 11
Where women don't go, babies don't go! The men are too "manly" to carry a baby!
In many Asian cities, it is hard to see the sky, let alone the sun! Then, if the sun can see you, other people can too! Hurry, cover up, just in case! That is the result of religious brain washing.
@celticeagle (168420)
• Boise, Idaho
29 Jul 11
I am aware of Vitamin D deficiency. Infact the result of my last annual check-up was that I have a Vitamin D deficiency. I was prescribed eight 50,000 IU of Vitamin D. I take one weekly for the next eight weeks. I wonder if there is a shot that could be given. I think you are right in speculating that in the not far off future the Indians will be able to get rid of this grave health problem.
@EnvyDoll (3)
• Canada
28 Jul 11
The body needs calcium to properly absorb Vitamin D. So even with it being distributed for free/at a low cost and even with the abundance of sunlight in India many people either are not informed or don't have access (financially or otherwise) to the calcium which would work with the vitamin d to prevent deficiencies.
