Twenty-three-year-old Saskia Reeves-Priestley collapsed at work with dizziness, nausea and heart palpitations. Despite being a fit footballer playing four times a week, blood tests revealed her vitamin D levels were 'next to nothing'.
Data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey shows nearly a quarter of 11- to 18-year-olds were deficient last year. Vitamin D comes from diet—oily fish and meat—or supplements, but most is made when UV light hits the skin. Lower sunlight exposure, covering skin and sunscreen reduce production. Those with darker skin need stronger light to produce the same amount.
Dr Suma Uday, a paediatric endocrinologist, warns deficiency is 'the silent disease' causing fatigue, joint and bone pain, and weakening bones. Amaka Osu, 21, collapsed while cooking in Liverpool and was also diagnosed deficient. After supplements she feels better but fears recurrence.
The group ACT NOW Vitamin D, including Uday, calls for raising deficiency thresholds to catch more cases early. Prof Martin Hewison from the University of Birmingham notes rickets persists 100 years after discovery, urging wider food fortification like Canada and Sweden. In the UK, fortification is voluntary.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing