How many of us say, "Hello" to the sun every day? Unfortunately not many. And we are paying for it with our health. In the land of yoga, where the first asana is paying homage to the sun ( Surya Namaskaar), 35% of Indians are Vitamin D-deficient[1]. How can people near the equator with abundant sun exposure throughout the year be lacking in Vitamin D? There are parts of the world away from the equator that does not get adequate sunshine even if they spend all their time outdoors naked.
Many of us may know that Vitamin D is important for our bones and teeth. But scientists are discovering that Vitamin D plays an important role in many other functions of the body. One important one is for normal thyroid function. Vitamin D also plays a role in the secretion of two hormones, melatonin, and serotonin. If these hormones are impaired, we would have difficulty falling asleep and have mood swings. This is why we see lots of folks in countries with not enough sunlight like Norway, Sweden, and Finland travel to the tropics during winter. Otherwise, they will become more prone to anxiety disorder and depression. It does not stop there. Vitamin D has been linked to chronic disorders like diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and obesity[2]. It has a role to play in our gut bacteria as well[3].
As always, it turns out to be a lifestyle and a cultural issue. In earlier times, when agriculture was the main occupation, we worked in the fields bending down, exposing all of our backs to the sun. Our back has by far the largest contiguous surface area and produced more than enough vitamin D. In modern times, as we become richer, we also tend to become sedentary and shy away from manual chores. So, no more walking to the local store. We get on our vehicles and zip to them. As we got comfortable in our homes, sun and rain have become an inconvenience to be avoided at all costs. We get into our cars and don't let the sun's rays touch our skin.
Culture is even a powerful force. Our skin produces melanin to protect us from the sun's rays. That's how we were able to survive for thousands of years when we mostly lived outdoors. Unfortunately, the black skin, rich in melanin became an embarrassment for us. We tend to look down on people with black skin and instead covet white skin. One way to get fair skin is to not let the sun's rays touch our skin. Thereby we lower the production of melanin in our skin. The expectations are high on women to be fairer and so they stay mostly indoors.
Our current social rules dictate that women must be fully covered. In all our ancient temples, both men and women are depicted only with their lower bodies covered. When Portuguese merchants came to Kerala, they were surprised to see that princesses did not cover their upper bodies.[4] At that time, breasts were not considered sexual in nature. So, before the arrival of the British, both men and women got enough Vitamin D. Women are the ones who are more in need of Vitamin D as their bones deteriorate faster once they hit menopause. Click here to learn more about this.
Our culture and lifestyle are not going to change overnight. So, are we stuck with Vitamin D deficiency? Since we are unable to get enough sunlight, we can eat animals that do. Chicken that roams freely in the yard soaking in the sun. Those goats and cows that graze under the sun rather than tied to one place and fed. Wild fish that feed on plants of the sea, phytoplanktons. In all animals, the liver and fatty tissue are the storehouse for Vitamin D. For those who are squeamish about eating liver, oily fish and egg yolk are good alternatives. Oily fish can be easily identified by lack of scales on them as its the oil that keeps the fish dry under water. Animals have Vitamin D3 which is better for us than Vitamin D2 found in plants and fungi. [5]
Since some of us are vegetarians, what about them? We could learn from the people who have enough Vitamin D even though they live far away from the equator. People in Northern Europe eat mushrooms for Vitamin D. Mushrooms that grow in dark places, have great potent Vitamin D. Since we don't want to lay in the sun all day, let the mushrooms lie in our place. After a few hours under the sun, the Vitamin D content of mushrooms increases significantly.[6,7] If you slice the mushrooms, the surface area increases, and more Vitamin D is produced.
Cook the dried mushrooms with fat as it helps in better absorption of Vitamin D, a fat soluble vitamin. Also cook them lightly to preserve Vitamin D. Sauteing (dry heat with a small amount of fat) is the best way to cook sun-dried mushrooms.
Do not rely solely on food to get your Vitamin D. As much as possible, have direct sunlight on your skin, preferably between 11 AM and 2 PM in South India to meet your daily requirements of Vitamin D[8]. This way your body gets a chance to auto regulate the amount of Vitamin D based on your body needs.
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