Vitamin D Deficiency India: Why is 90% of the population in India suffering from Vitamin D deficiency? Know the major disadvantages of taking pills yourself from experts

India is a country where there is ample and good sunshine for most of the months of the year. Despite this, a large population of the country is currently facing a very silent and serious health problem, that is Vitamin D Deficiency. The symptoms of deficiency of this important nutrient are not so easily and quickly detected in the beginning, but as time passes, it starts hollowing the body from within. People often ignore the constant fatigue, pain in the whole body or muscle strain in everyday life, considering it as work pressure or a common problem of daily life, but according to medical science, it has a direct and major connection with the severe deficiency of Vitamin D. According to a recent research report in the ‘Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism’, severe deficiency of Vitamin D has been observed in the body of about 70 to 90 percent of Indians.

Health experts say that our changing lifestyle is the biggest reason behind this deficiency. In today’s modern lifestyle, most people spend most of their time inside the four walls of their home, AC rooms or office. Due to children’s online classes, increasing ‘work from home’ culture among the youth and the habit of doing groceries and shopping from home through various mobile apps, people’s exposure to natural sunlight has reduced considerably. Since the sun’s rays are the biggest, natural and free source of Vitamin D for the human body, distance from sunlight has become the main root of this disease.

From bones to immune system: it affects the entire body.

Senior Orthopedic Surgeon at Kailash Deepak Hospital Dr. Anuj Aggarwal says that it is a big misconception among the general public that the work of Vitamin D is only to keep the bones strong. But from the point of view of medical science, the truth is that its scope is not limited to bones only, rather it controls the metabolism of the entire body.

According to doctors, Vitamin D mainly performs the following functions in our body:

• Calcium Absorption: It helps our digestive system to properly absorb (use) the calcium we get from food. Unless there is enough Vitamin D in the body, no matter how much calcium you eat, it will not reach the bones and teeth.

• Muscle Strength: It gives strength to our muscles to function smoothly and their cells to function properly. Due to its deficiency in the body, mild pain persists in the entire body even without any heavy work or reason, severe weakness is felt in the muscles and the person feels tired as soon as he wakes up in the morning.

• Immunity: It works like a protective shield to boost our body’s natural ability to fight diseases and infections, i.e. the immune system and keep it normally active.

Don’t become a doctor yourself: The mistake of taking pills after seeing social media will cost you dearly.

Nowadays, in the age of Internet, many serious misconceptions regarding Vitamin D are spreading rapidly in the society. Dr. Anuj Aggarwal cautioned that the biggest and most common mistake people are making is that they start buying Vitamin D supplements (pills or sachets) from medical stores on their own after hearing from a friend or relative or watching reels on social media (Youtube/Instagram). Doing this is a big risk to health.

According to doctors, everyone’s body needs are different. If you are experiencing symptoms like persistent fatigue or weakness in your body and suspect Vitamin D deficiency, then first go to a qualified doctor. Get a blood test done on the written advice of the doctor. Only when the exact level of Vitamin D is revealed in the test report, it is scientifically decided whether you need a medicine (supplement) or not, and if so, what should be its correct dosage.

Taking too much Vitamin D can cause kidney failure

Another dangerous misconception about Vitamin D is that people think that if they consume large amounts of Vitamin D, their body will get more and quicker benefits. Medical science completely rejects this thinking. Dr Aggarwal has given a clear warning that taking high-dose Vitamin D in excess of the body’s requirement or without a doctor’s prescription can cause ‘Vitamin D toxicity’ in the body.

When the amount of this vitamin increases excessively in the body, it causes abnormally high calcium levels in the blood (called hypercalcemia). This can cause the patient to suffer from persistent nausea, frequent vomiting, extreme physical weakness, and in severe cases, life-threatening health problems such as kidney stones or kidney failure. Therefore, instead of considering Vitamin D as a general supplement, treat it like a serious allopathic medicine. Always take it under the strict advice of the doctor, under proper monitoring and in the prescribed quantity and duration, only then it will prove helpful in making your body healthy and long-lived.