Deficiency of vitamin D in the human body can cause weakness and pain in the muscles. However, although the production of the substance is related to exposure to the sun, variables such as genetics, demographics and lifestyle also contribute to the production of the vitamin.
A survey published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society in November 2022 found that, even in summer, most Brazilians have vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency. and below 20 ng/ml, deficiency.
“Variables such as genetics, demography and lifestyle influence the production of vitamin D. Newly acquired habits during the Covid-19 pandemic, which took the population’s routine indoors, for example, can also contribute to the condition” , clarifies endocrinologist Marise Lazaretti Castro, from Escola Paulista de Medicina, one of the authors of the survey.
The research was carried out with 1,029 participants, of which 50.7% had vitamin insufficiency and 15.3%, deficiency. The study, carried out by researchers from the Federal Universities of Paraná and São Paulo, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz and Obras Sociais Irmã Dulce, analyzed adults between 18 and 45 years old.
In São Paulo, 20% of participants had vitamin D deficiency. In Curitiba and Salvador, the deficiency rate was 12%. In winter, the situation can be aggravated by another 10%, point out the researchers.
Lifestyle and replenishment
The study, which collected blood samples and data from participants, identified the lack of outdoor exercise and the incidence of obesity and overweight as risk factors for vitamin D deficiency in the Brazilian population.
However, exposure to the sun, physical activity and the use of supplements can help replenish the micronutrient. “Supplementation guided by a professional can reduce 60% of the chances of patients having vitamin D deficiency, according to the study”, says Marise.
Another point addressed by the survey was the ethnic-racial issue. Although Salvador has a higher percentage of blacks than Curitiba, the average levels of vitamin D among the participants were not different.
“This suggests that the greater abundance of solar radiation existing in Salvador, due to its greater proximity to the Equator, can overcome the barrier of melanin in the skin to produce vitamin D. In places with limited solar radiation, black skin would be a risk factor. for vitamin D deficiency,” say the researchers.
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