It is thought that around one in five people in the UK suffers from vitamin D deficiency. Interestingly, people from a BAME community are at higher risk of suffering from a deficiency. Why is this the case?
What is vitamin D and how do we normally obtain it?
Vitamin D, otherwise known as the sunshine vitamin, is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps regulate minerals such as calcium and phosphate in the body.
Much of the vitamin D in our body is made naturally from exposure to sunlight and naturally levels increase in the summer months when days are considerably longer and brighter.
In addition to natural sunlight, some foods can also be a source of vitamin D. These are:
Oily fish
Egg yolks
Fortified cereals (cereals which have added vitamins and minerals)
Cheese
Red meat
What are the benefits of vitamin D?
Vitamin D has several benefits but one of its main purposes is to keep your bones strong and helps to reduce general aches and pains. Another key benefit of Vitamin D is that is can help to regulate and boost your mood – which is one of the contributors to our mood being generally lower in the winter.
Some of the most common signs that you are lacking vitamin D are feelings of fatigue, low mood, reduced productivity and difficulty coping with stress. You may experience aches and pains.
Why is vitamin D deficiency so prevalent in the BAME community?
Increased melanin (the pigment in skin and hair which imparts your skin tone) in the skin reduces the skin’s ability to absorb UV rays from the sun. This means those from BAME backgrounds do not have the ability to produce much vitamin D from the sun.
Also, as a large proportion of Asians follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, it is also more difficult to get vitamin D from food.
How can those in the BAME communities who are deficient ensure that they are getting enough?
As those in BAME communities do not get as much vitamin D boost sunlight, it is important to be more proactive in obtaining it. Therefore, try to spend as much time outdoors as possible and look for fortified cereals and fat spreads.
In some instances, supplements are recommended, particularly for those that are low or are at a higher risk of being low in vitamin D. These supplements are available widely and the recommendation is for around 10 micrograms of vitamin D daily.
