TIDINGS THAT INSPIRE
SUNSHINE AND
VITAMIN D
By Jennifer Mwangangi-Ayoti
his fact might shock you: With
such a high exposure of the sun
in Africa, would you believe
that a high percentage of the people
have vitamin D deficiency? Here is
another scary fact: Those who are
overweight have an even greater
chance to be deficient! I will explain
the reason why shortly, so stay with
me.
T
needs are A, B group, C, D, E and K.
Vitamins occur naturally in all living
things, and are therefore organic.
Their role within the body is to:
Regulate certain bodily functions;
Help in the building of body tissues,
bones and blood; Help the body
metabolize fats, carbohydrates and
proteins which enables the body to
obtain energy from the food we eat.
Here is the reason why obese people
have a high deficiency in vitamin D.
This is solely because Vitamin D is a
fat soluble vitamin, which means that
increased body fat has the ability to
absorb Vitamin D and keep it from
being used within our body. So if you
are obese, this fact alone should tell
you that it’s a high time you dropped
that body fat
Sadly, this Vitamin D deficiency
is linked with increased risks of
developing common cancers,
autoimmune diseases, hypertension,
and various infectious diseases,
too. Ladies and gentlemen, the
importance of this vitamin cannot be
ignored. Let us first understand what
vitamins are in general and their role
in our bodies.
There are two kinds of vitamins: Fat
soluble vitamins, and Water soluble
vitamins.
Vitamin D helps the body absorb
calcium, so it is vital for bone and
tooth health. In recent times it has
also been found to have a significant
role in regulating cell growth,
supporting immune function and
the production of insulin. It is also
known as the ‘sunshine vitamin’ as the
most common and natural source of
vitamin D is sunlight.
The main vitamins that the body
Now back to Vitamin D which is a
fat soluble vitamin and is stored in
the liver and fatty tissues. If the body
has more of a fat soluble vitamin than
it needs at any one time, the vitamin
can be stored in the body fat and the
liver for use when it is needed at a
later date.
‘‘ Here is great tip you can use to know if the
sun is creating Vitamin D in your skin: look
at your shadow when outside and if you see
that it’s shorter than you are; this means that
the sun is high enough in the sky and strong
enough to convert Vitamin D in your skin!’’
78 MAL 12/16 ISSUE
Many of us assume that the best way
to acquire Vitamin D is through
nutrition - drinking milk, eating fish,
or even taking supplements like cod
liver oil. However, direct exposure
to the sun is actually the best way to
absorb Vitamin D.
People at risk from a vitamin D
deficiency include those who do not
go outside very much, or cover most
of their body with clothing while
they are outside. I am aware that