On this 1st Monday of May 2020, and as we enter the first day of Lockdown 3 and in effect today is 41st day of Lockdown. This lockdown has come with few relaxations for all the zones in the country ie Red , Orange and Green Zones. Maharashtra is the most affected state with max cases of Covid 19 infections, and in Maharashtra, the city of Mumbai with its suburbs is leading with most affected cases in Maharashtra. So, the Mumbaikars are in for long wait till the situation improves and Mumbai enters into Green zone from Red zone. Till writing this blog we are still not clear what are the actual relaxations which govt is offering to citizens staying in red zones. There are so many u turns on the decision of relaxations that one is getting confused. Secondly I do not understand by the term stand alone shop, in the city of Mumbai not even 5% of shops can be categorised as stand alone shops, generally here shops in the market or in the buildings which are facing the road, where shops are located on the ground floor.
Now coming to my health related topic of the day:
Now a days the deficiency of Vitamin D is found in people of all age groups, earlier this deficiency was mostly related to the senior persons. To enhance the Vitamin D in the body, the doctors generally advise people to be in the sunlight for at least 20 minutes in a day. But with modern life styles, it is becoming almost impractical to stay in sun for few minutes even. So the result is- everyone is getting deficiency of Vitamin D in the body. With prevailing crisis of Covid 19 has made this more critical, as the people, specially seniors, are advised to stay indoors. This situation is leading to where more persons will be added to Vitamin D deficiency list.
Now how to handle this deficiency-
Find a sunspot- Now if you have access to terrace or balcony, where enough sun comes during the early morning or late evening, one must make it appoint to spend some time in the sun. This few moment in the sun can be a lifesaver for you, and help in building your immunity as well.
The diet alternative- now if you do not have access to sun, then you need to ensure you take Vitamin D rich foods. Fish like salmon, herring, sardines, shrimp and tuna are a good way to get the required amount of Vitamin D, which is also present in cod liver oil, which has been used since long to treat Vitamin D deficiency. Egg Yolk is another good option, while for the vegetarians, they can consume more of mushrooms. The other option is to look for fortified foods, including cow and soya milk that can help you in daily dose of Vitamin D. Apart from this many, breakfast cereals, dairy products like cheese, yogurt, tofu and fruit juices and many other foods are also fortified with Vitamin D. But is always best to stick to natural options, but if not available than one may opt for other alternatives, for helping out the deficiency in Vitamin D.
Supplements- As a last resort, if one feel that enough sunlight is not available or one is not getting foods rich in Vitamin D or fortified foods, the it is always advisable to consult your doctor about which type of supplement you an avail of. Doctor will advise you the required dose of supplements to take, which will be based on age, general health and medical condition, if any. I have so many times taken this type of supplements on the advise of doctor, generally these supplements are in the form of powders which you have to mix in small quantity of milk and drink. Generally doses are prescribed on weekly basis, and number of weeks it has to be consumed.
Please do not start supplements on your own choice, as there could be side effects of the same and it is always best to consult your own doctor before starting the these types of supplements.
In the present scenario of Covid 19, the deficiency of Vitamin D is going to be there in many people, hence it is very much advisable to get level of Vitamin D checked , and then take your doctor’s advise for further treatment.
Friends, hope this information will be useful in the current situation.
Waiting for your views/comments/feed backs.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
4th May 2020.
R. N. Mungale.
Vitamin D deficiency can be & must be tackled.