Fitness
Get some sunshine
Vitamin D deficiency can cause osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, neuro-muscular pain, proximal muscle pain, weakness, heart diseases, diabetes, TB and cancer
Mriganka Dadwal

Catching early morning sun for 15 minutes twice to thrice a week should be sufficient for our body's Vitamin D needs
Catching early morning sun for 15 minutes twice to thrice a week should be sufficient for our body's Vitamin D needs

If your lifestyle doesn't allow you to get enough sun; eat fortified foods and take Vitamin D supplements
If your lifestyle doesn't allow you to get enough sun; eat fortified foods and take Vitamin D supplements

Egg yolks are a tasty way to get this ‘sunny’ vitamin
Egg yolks are a tasty way to get this ‘sunny’ vitamin

Soya milk, mushrooms, egg yellow, cod liver oil, tuna fish or salmon fish are good sources of Vitamin D
Soya milk, mushrooms, egg yellow, cod liver oil, tuna fish or salmon fish are good sources of Vitamin D

WHEN Rohit, a 32 year old health-freak, got muscular cramps in his legs he attributed it to too much exercise at the gym. However, when the pain refused to subside with regular analgesics, Rohit knew it was time to visit his physician. What followed could pretty much be your story if your lifestyle has led you to shun the sun.

Several medical tests later Rohit was declared severely deficient in Vitamin D. Known as the sunshine vitamin, Vitamin D is produced by the body in response to sunlight. Our body automatically synthesises Vitamin D on exposure to the sun. However, with erratic and long working hours coupled with the luxury of working from air-conditioned offices, more and more people are not getting enough sun exposure.

Rohit is not a one off case. The prevalence of the diseases caused due to inconsistent lifestyle can be gauged from the fact that health experts have even coined a term — Lifestyle Disorders for them. Interestingly, lifestyle diseases are affecting the young — especially those in the age bracket of 30-40 years.

The situation may not sound alarming until one looks at the figures of a joint study by the WHO and World Economic Forum. "India would incur an accumulated loss of $236.6 by 2015 on account of unhealthy lifestyles and faulty diet," the report says.

According to Dr Srikant Sharma, Senior Consultant, Moolchand Medcity, "Although white-skinned people and Asian women are more prone to Vitamin D deficiency, leading to osteoporosis, professionals working in confined (indoor) locations, cigarette smokers and physically inactive people are equally at risk."

He further points out, "40 per cent of vertebral fractures can be avoided if Vitamin D deficiency is treated at the right time. So, if your lifestyle doesn't allow you to venture out enough in the sun; try eating fortified foods like soya milk, mushrooms, egg yellow, cod liver oil, tuna fish or salmon fish."

Another lifestyle choice which could lead to Vitamin D deficiency is replacement of whole milk by skim milk. Women who are on weight-watch often shift to skim milk which has much lesser quantity of nutrients than whole milk. As such the life-risk factor statistics (i.e. the chances that a disease will occur once in a lifetime) are not in favour of women with a risk factor of 50 per cent against that of 30 per cent for men.

The question arises, why one has to resort to fortified foods to obtain a vitamin that our body can synthesise naturally. Health experts agree that catching early morning sun for 15 minutes twice to thrice a week should be sufficient for our body's Vitamin D needs. Morning walks are a good idea as the sun is harmless early morning and the UV rays falling on your skin at this time are rather beneficial in building Vitamin D.

Yoga Acharya Rakesh Singh, Krishna Dutta Institute of Naturopathy, offers more perspective, "In yoga we have the tradition of sun salutation or surya namaskar. The idea is to catch the beneficial rays of sun early morning but to harvest maximum benefit from surya namaskar; one should not cover ourselves fully while doing this exercise." He further adds that resorting to fortified foods or supplements can be understandable in western world where sun is scarce during long winter months but Indians are blessed with sunshine round the year and they must take maximum advantage from it.

Naturopath Dr Veena Hora agrees, "Many patients come to us with lifestyle disorders. They want magic cures but are not willing to improve their lifestyle. If your work hours are erratic may be it is time you invest in your fitness regime on your off days." She also suggests soaking two teaspoonfuls of white sesame seeds in equal amount of water overnight and eating them first thing in the morning for better Vitamin D & calcium absorption by the body. In the cold months of winter sesame oil massage could also be beneficial according to health experts.

Interestingly, both western and alternative medicine systems stress the benefits of early morning sun. Dr Srikant Sharma cautions, "If you are wearing sunscreen during your morning walks, your body will not be able to synthesise Vitamin D."

So while wearing sunscreen helps prevent skin cancer and saves you from harmful UV rays, do ask yourself are you shunning the sun completely and alongside, it's natural benefits too?

Facts about Vitamin D

  • n Women are more at risk of osteoporosis as compared to men. The risk increases manifold after menopause. Vitamin D is essential for strong bones because it helps the body use calcium from the diet.

  • n Dark people should catch sun for longer duration as compared to lighter skinned people.

  • n Animal origin Vitamin D is three times more biologically active than that of plant origin.

  • n Overuse of sunscreen may contribute to Vitamin D deficiency.

  • n Vitamin D supplements cost as less as Rs 100 for 4 tablets to be consumed weekly (as directed by the physician).

  • n Vitamin D deficiency may further lead to osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, neuro-muscular pain, proximal muscle pain, weakness, heart diseases, diabetes, immunological diseases like TB and cancer.

  • n One should check Vitamin D levels after consuming supplements for three to six months as its overdose may lead to: vomiting, loss of appetite, nausea, headache and even excessive irreversible deposit of calcium in teeth, brain and eyes.

 

Health Capsules

Vitamin C supplements tied to men's kidney stones

Men who take Vitamin C supplements are at higher-than-average risk of developing kidney stones, according to a Swedish study of more than 22,000 men. The findings don't prove the Vitamin itself triggers stones to form. But researchers said that because there are no clear benefits tied to taking high-dose Vitamin C, people who have had stones in the past should think before taking extra supplements. "Some of the Vitamin C absorbed by the body is excreted in urine as oxalate, one of the key components of kidney stones," said lead researcher Laura Thomas at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm. The findings appeared in JAMA Internal medicine. The analysis included 907 men who took regular Vitamin C tablets and more than 22,000 who didn't use any. Men who took supplements at least once a day had the highest risk of kidney stones. Men are more likely to develop stones than women. The findings don't mean people shouldn't get plenty of Vitamin C through fruits and vegetables, since the antioxidant is important for bone and muscle health — and severe deficiency can cause scurvy. Any effect of Vitamin C on kidney stone risk is likely to depend both on the dose and on the combination of nutrients with which it is ingested. For now, people who haven't had kidney stones before shouldn't worry about related risks tied to the Vitamin.

TV-watching British kids appear unable to walk

Some three-year-old children in Britain spend so much time in front of the TV that they appear to be unable to walk. Louise Casey, Prime Minister David Cameron's adviser on troubled families, said a teacher informed her that one child spent so much time alone in front of the TV screen that he could not even chew.

Casey said the problem of young children being unable to walk was a clear sign of the height of the challenge to help around 120,000 troubled families in the country, the Daily Mail reported. National Association of Head Teachers general secretary Russell Hobby said it was an extreme case, "but more frequently we hear of children who can't speak when they come to school". He said those children can "only grunt" while some still wear nappies at the age of five. A playschool creator earlier warned that parents should avoid leaving young children unsupervised in front of the TV.

Adult diabetes drug may help weight loss in obese

A drug originally approved to treat adults with diabetes may also help severely obese youths lose some weight, according to a new study. "We're encouraged by these trial results because there is potentially a role for this class (of drugs) to be useful in terms of weight reduction and cardiovascular risk control," said Aaron Kelly, the study's lead author from the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis.

Vegetarians have less risk of heart disease

Vegetarians are one-third less likely to be hospitalised or die from heart disease than meat and fish eaters, according to a new UK study. Earlier research has also suggested that non-meat eaters have fewer heart problems, researchers said, but it wasn't clear if other lifestyle differences, including exercise and smoking habits, might also play into that.

Tobacco plant can cure rabies

Tobacco may have been dubbed a killer, but a genetically altered version of the plant could provide a low cost cure for rabies. University of London scientists have developed an antibody from genetically engineered plants to prevent the virus from attaching to nerve endings around the bite site and from travelling to the brain. It was published in The FASEB Journal. The antibody was produced using transgenic tobacco plants as an inexpensive production platform. The antibody was also shown to be active in neutralising a broad panel of rabies viruses. This could be helpful in the developing world where manufacturing costs lead to treatment shortages.

Tattooing can increase the risk of skin cancer, say doctors

The inks used in tattoos may contain toxic elements, which can cause skin cancer, especially blue ink, which has cobalt and aluminium. Red ink may have mercurial sulfide and certain coloured inks often contain lead, cadmium, chromium, nickel, titanium and other heavy metals. '""The equipment used in tattooing and body piercing, if contaminated with infected blood, can risk transmission HIV, Hepatitis B and C and various skin cancers like squamous cell, carcinoma and melanoma," says Dr D.J.S Tula, consultant plastic surgeon at Delhi's B.L.K. Hosptial. "Everyone who gets a tattoo doesn't get skin cancer. But they have increased risk as most tattooists use ink which is arsenic. Certain designs are deep penetrated into the skin and damage muscles," adds Tula.

Experts also say that a tattoo should not be done near a mole (nevus)."One needs to know the changes occurring in a mole — symmetry, border, colour, size, shape and texture. If there is a tattoo around it or on it, the key warning signs on the mole cannot be noticed and it might later evolve into melanoma or another skin cancer," says oncologist Dr Amit Kumar. "Tattoos between the mid ribs and upper shoulders should be avoided," adds Jane Ruth, a dermatologist. Other common skin risks associated with tattoos include allergic reactions to certain tattoo inks. Infection after a tattoo can be treated with antibiotics.

Experts also say that there are risks involved in removing tattoos like hypopigmentation (loss of skin colour) and as hyperpigmentation (skin darkening) where the tattoo was. — Agencies





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