Pregnant women who have dark skin or wear veils are at high risk of vitamin D deficiency, which can lead to rickets in children, studies in Melbourne have found. A study reported in the journal of medicine found that a high proportion of dark-skinned and or veiled women had vitamin D levels below the ideal. As well as problems such as rickets for the infants, a deficiency in adults can lead to bone-softening conditions such as osteomalacia and muscle disorders.//

Ninety per cent of vitamin D in the body is derived from the chemical reaction that occurs when ultraviolet B light hits the skin. Dark skin does not absorb as much ultraviolet B as light skin, and people who wear clothing that covers all their skin are not exposed to the sun.

Of the 82 women screened, 66 (80 per cent) recorded vitamin D levels below the ideal level. Women who were both dark-skinned and consistently covered (including head, arms and neck at all times) were at particularly high risk, with 91 per cent under the safe level of vitamin D.

When ultraviolet B light hits the skin, blood picks up the initial 'inactive' form of vitamin D and takes it to the kidneys, where it is converted into the active form, a steroid hormone that allows bones to absorb calcium and develop.Only 10 per cent of vitamin D in the body is from dietary sources - which include oily fish, eggs, butter and margarine - and this goes for babies too.


'"/>




Page: 1
Related medicine news :

1. Lemons Could Give Relief For Patients Suffering From Asthma
2. Cinnamon combats Diabetes
3. Compound of Broccoli combats breast cancer
4. Vitamin B12 can help in detecting cancers
5. Want skin cancer? Please have a cigarette
6. New hope for cancer victims – will vaccine cure the deadly bug
7. Clintons new problem - Is the outgoing American president suffering from skin cancer?
8. Are cancer patients being taken for a ride?
9. Breast cancer treatment to be determined by gene test
10. Ductal lavage may detect early breast cancer
11. Beware of the oral patch! It could be cancer!!!