Hyderabad: 76 percent of the population of Hyderabad suffers from vitamin D deficiency, according to data from tests of more than 2.2 lakh people conducted across 27 cities in India.
The data shows that of the entire population of the country nearly 76 percent were found with lower-than-desirable levels of vitamin D in their bodies. 79 percent of men and 75 percent of women were found deficient in the essential vitamin, according to a study by Tata 1mg Labs.
Vadodara (89%) and Surat (88%) were found to have the highest and Delhi-NCR the lowest (72%) incidence of vitamin D deficiency among all the cities from where the data was collected, for the study by Tata 1mg Labs.
Interestingly, younger people were found to be much more affected by Vitamin D deficiency compared to the national average. Its prevalence was highest in the age group below 25 years (84%), followed by 25–40 years (81%).
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All-India data on Vitamin D levels based on analysis of 2.2 lakh samples between March-August 2022:
| Gender | Percentage |
| Male | 79% |
| Female | 75% |
| Age Group | Percentage |
| Below 25 years | 84% |
| 25-40 | 81% |
City-wise incidence of vitamin-D deficiency across 27 cities in India
| City | vitamin-D Deficiency |
| Vadodara | 89% |
| Surat | 88% |
| Ahmedabad | 85% |
| Nagpur | 84% |
| Bhubaneswar | 83% |
| Nashik | 82% |
| Patna | 82% |
| Visakhapatnam | 82% |
| Ranchi | 82% |
| Jaipur | 81% |
| Chennai | 81% |
| Bhopal | 81% |
| Indore | 80% |
| Pune | 79% |
| Kolkata | 79% |
| Varanasi | 79% |
| Mumbai | 78% |
| Allahabad | 78% |
| Lucknow | 78% |
| Kanpur | 77% |
| Bangalore | 77% |
| Agra | 76% |
| Hyderabad | 76% |
| Chandigarh | 76% |
| Dehradun | 75% |
| Meerut | 74% |
| Delhi NCR | 72% |
Known as the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D is essential to the growth, development, metabolism, immunity, bone health, and mental health of people. Its deficiency has been linked to health disorders such as prostate cancer, depression, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and rickets.
Vice President, Medical Affairs, Tata 1mg, Dr Rajeev Sharma said, “Changing food habits and an indoor lifestyle with inadequate exposure to sunlight have led to a drastic increase in cases of vitamin D deficiency. The much higher prevalence in young adults can also be attributed to lower consumption of vitamin D-containing foods like fortified cereals and oily fish.”
“However, seasonal variations in exposure to sunlight can also be a likely explanation, especially during winters. Unspaced and unplanned pregnancies in women with dietary deficits can lead to worsening of vitamin D status in both mother and child,” he added.
Clinical Head, Tata 1mg Labs, Dr Prashant said, “Vitamin D levels should be checked regularly in cases of obesity, mal-absorption syndrome or softening of the bones (osteomalacia), or if the patient is getting treatment for TB. The levels can also be checked along with regular full-body checkups, which are recommended to be done every six months or at least once a year. Infants and children under the age of five, pregnant and breastfeeding women, teenagers and young women, people over the age of 65, and those with limited sun exposure are the most vulnerable to deficiency.”
The human skin hosts a type of cholesterol that functions as a precursor to vitamin D. When exposed to UV-B radiation from the sun, it turns into vitamin D. Having enough exposure to sunlight and consuming foods rich in the vitamin such as egg yolks, oily fish, red meat, and fortified foods can help prevent the deficiency.
