One of the strangest biological mysteries is the relationship between a person and the sun. While excessive sun exposure is linked to skin cancer, too little sun exposure leads to vitamin D deficiency. Unfortunately, statistics show that South African women have one of the highest rates of vitamin D deficiency, suggesting that the sun simply isn’t hitting our skin enough. Worse still, the signs of vitamin D deficiency can be as subtle as the deficiency itself—so you may not notice it until you’re in a serious condition.
Dark-skinned women in South Africa are most at risk of vitamin D deficiency, despite the country being so sunny. A South African Family Practice study found that among nearly 2,000 women studied, Indian women had the highest levels of severe vitamin D deficiency. Even scarier? The study was conducted in KwaZulu-Natal, the country’s most tropical province.
Causes of vitamin D deficiency in South Africa
90% of the vitamin D in your body is produced through sun exposure. But for most of us, the sun is a star we don’t stare at. Instead, the average city dweller spends their time in the office, indoors or outdoors, but covered in sunscreen. It’s a global phenomenon: countries with a lot of sunlight all have high levels of vitamin D deficiency. But for people of color, the story goes deeper. Skin pigmentation plays a role in how much vitamin D your body can physically absorb. People with darker skin have higher levels of melanin, which acts as a natural sunscreen. However, because melanin absorbs UVB light, dark skin requires up to 6 to 10 times more sun exposure to produce the same amount of vitamin D as lighter skin. Since South Africa is a country populated mainly by melanin people, the number of cases of vitamin D deficiency is higher.
And that’s not all: clothing such as long-sleeved shirts that block the sun can also affect the sun’s good intentions. And then there is our diet. If you are a vegetarian, you probably have difficulty getting vitamin D from your diet, as vitamin D is highly concentrated in fatty fish (salmon, sardines) and beef liver. And living in an urban area also has a negative impact. Studies show that black people living in metropolitan areas like Johannesburg or Cape Town have much lower vitamin D levels than people in rural areas due to smog, desk jobs and indoor commutes.
READ MORE: The risks of tanning (and yes, we mean sun exposure too)
Risks of vitamin D deficiency
More than a third of people worldwide have inadequate vitamin D levels, which has been linked to a reduced risk of osteoporosis, cancer and cardiovascular disease, researchers report in a new study appearing in the British Journal of Nutrition. In a systematic review of 200 population-based vitamin D studies from 44 countries, lead researcher Dr. Kristina Hoffmann from the Mannheim Institute of Public Health (MIPH) at Heidelberg University and her colleagues found that 37.3 percent of studies reported mean values of the nutrient that were considered inadequate by most health authorities worldwide.
“Low vitamin D levels have potentially serious health effects, particularly bone and muscle health,” the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) said in a statement. The organization, which is dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis and related musculoskeletal disorders, explained that vitamin D deficiency can lead to rickets in children, as well as osteomalacia, osteopenia, osteoporosis and the risk of bone fractures in adults. Studies have also linked the condition to an increased risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease, they noted. According to CANSA, “Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of common cancers, autoimmune diseases, high blood pressure and infectious diseases.”
“With the global increase in the number of elderly people and the nearly four-fold increase in hip fractures due to osteoporosis since 1990, health authorities must address the impact of inadequate vitamin D status on the fracture risk and overall health of their aging population, as well as children and adolescents,” said IOF Executive Director Judy Stenmark. “IOF urges further research and public health interventions that would help improve vitamin D status in these high-risk populations.”
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Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency in South Africa
Big bummer: There are so few clear symptoms of vitamin D deficiency. But! If these symptoms sound familiar, they are related to a persistent and severe vitamin D deficiency:
- Bone pain (e.g. back pain, knee pain)
- Joint pain
- Muscle pain
- Muscle twitching
- weakness
- Poor absorption of calcium (which may look like brittle nails, tingling, and sore muscles)
- Depression and anxiety
What to do if you think your vitamin D levels are low?
Make an appointment with your doctor and request a test. You can request a “25-hydroxyvitamin D test” which will check your D levels. Then request a prescription for vitamin D, which will help boost critically low levels.
Or try these vitamin D supplements in South Africa:
Beetroot vitamin D3 and K2
Prevents calcium accumulation, promotes healthy arteries and improves cardiovascular health.
Nutriburst Ultra D1000
These lemon-flavored gummies are made with high-quality, vegan-friendly ingredients.
Prime Self Vitamin D3/K2 complex
A synergistic combination of Vitamin D3 and K2 (MK-7) in their most bioavailable form.
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