ABU DHABI // A lack of vitamin D is responsible for many health problems, and the only way to combat it is for people across the country to have more regular check-ups, medical professionals say.
One of the biggest contributing factors is not getting enough sun. Just a few minutes of sunlight a day can make a huge difference.
Dr Afrozul Haq analyses about 110 blood samples a day in his role as a senior clinical scientist in the department of laboratory medicine at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City.
"You name the disease, and vitamin D is playing a role," he said. "The importance is being realised by health professionals."
Over the past two years examining 80,000 blood samples, Dr Haq found that 65 per cent of women and 60 per cent of men had vitamin D deficiencies. Sometimes he finds levels of just 10 nanomoles per litre, compared with healthy amounts of 75 to 200 nanomoles per litre.
"It's common in a sunny climate," he said. "The main reason is people are concerned by the strong sun. Here there is the traditional way of clothes, the abaya, and people who are working in the office, they spend most of their time inside."
Dalya Gomaa of Dubai, the vice president of sales and marketing at Ethos Consultancy, agreed. Ms Gomaa, who has three children, knows that although vitamin D is important, she and her family may not get enough because they are rarely outside in the sun.
Most of the time, she said, it was just too hot. "We were in Canada last summer and it was nice to go for a walk," added Ms Gomaa, who came here from Egypt. "But here, what do you do? You go to work, you go to your car, you go to the mall."
Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium from food and drinks and, while it is essential for healthy bones, muscles and teeth, research in recent years indicates it is also deeply involved in most of the body's cellular processes and affects the entire immune system.
It also serves as a glucose regulator, and low levels are usually seen in people with diabetes. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to serious health problems including depression, multiple sclerosis and heart disease. It can increase by 30 to 50 per cent the risk of developing breast, prostate and colon cancer.
A study published in the January-February issue of the medical journal Endocrine Practice involving 87 Arab women living in Dearborn, Michigan, found their conservative dress had a significant effect on their vitamin D levels. All of them had 25 per cent, or less, of the vitamin D they required, and the levels got lower in veiled women.
Raymond Hobbs, the lead author of the study and a senior staff physician in the department of internal medicine at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, said some levels were so low they could not even be measured.
Studies show the situation has been reflected even in the sunny Middle East, Dr Hobbs said.
"The thing I want is awareness," he said. "The key thing is for them to get their vitamin D levels checked. Once you find out what that is, you know what to do."
Testing for screening purposes - that is, with no medical problem prompting a doctor to ask for it - is not yet covered by most medical insurance plans.
Although vitamin D is found in some foods, such as oily fish, eggs and fortified milk, the amounts are often minimal and not sufficient to maintain the level the body needs. A person would have to eat 80 eggs or drink 20 glasses of milk a day to get the proper amounts, Dr Hobbs said.
The most effective way people can boost their levels is still regular exposure to sunlight - 10 or 20 minutes on a regular basis.
"The body is capable of making 100,000 to 200,000 units of vitamin D from moderate sun exposure," said Dr Hobbs. "It will only make as much as is needed."
amcqueen@thenational.ae
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Directed: Smeep Kang
Produced: Soham Rockstar Entertainment; SKE Production
Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Jimmy Sheirgill, Sunny Singh, Omkar Kapoor, Rajesh Sharma
Rating: Two out of five stars
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1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
The specs
Engine: 1.4-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 180hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 250Nm at 3,00rpm
Transmission: 5-speed sequential auto
Price: From Dh139,995
On sale: now
The biog
Name: Sari Al Zubaidi
Occupation: co-founder of Cafe di Rosati
Age: 42
Marital status: single
Favourite drink: drip coffee V60
Favourite destination: Bali, Indonesia
Favourite book: 100 Years of Solitude
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.