London: For a country that gets so much sun, it’s pretty unbelievable that so many Pakistanis are vitamin-D deficient. The first thing you need to know about Vitamin-D is that it’s not really a vitamin at all! It’s, in fact, more of a ‘sun hormone’ that is produced naturally in the human body when the skin is exposed to sunlight.Food and sunlight (ultra-violet rays to be exact) are the best sources of vitamin D.
In the case of a vitamin D deficiency, the absorption of calcium and phosphorous is reduced, which can adversely affect the strength of teeth and bones.
This can lead to conditions such as rickets, osteomalacia, and osteoporosis. Since Vitamin D also aids in reducing cancer cell growth, controlling infections,
blood pressure and artery damage, a deficiency can increase the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases and cancer. A very common symptom is depression, fatigue and being more asthma-prone.
