It is a matter of concern recently that the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is not only in Saudi Arabia but in the entire Arab Gulf region and some Arab countries where the percentage of adults is more than 80% and in children more than 60%. Studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency is not only related to osteoporosis but also to many diseases such as diabetes, heart, high fat, asthma, etc.

In a recent study carried out in the chair of Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah for Osteoporosis Research in the College of Science - King Saud University, more than 100 people were followed for a year and given tips on eating vitamin D and exposing their bodies to the sun for a period of Ten minutes per day has resulted in this study several results, the most important of which:

First, it has been observed that vitamin D increases in the winter and decreases in the summer because people can go out to the sun in the winter and can not get out in the summer. This is due to the high temperature in the Gulf region, which is more than 50 degrees in some cases And some areas.

Second, the winter period does not exceed three months, so vitamin D during that period was sufficient for the whole year. Therefore, if we were able to make people aware that they would expose their bodies to the sun during these days, it would be sufficient for them throughout the year.

This increase in vitamin D results in a marked improvement in the concentration of cholesterol, unhealthy cholesterol, glucose, pressure and glucose sensitivity.

Supervisor of the chair of Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah for the research of biomarkers of osteoporosis

Nasser bin Mohammed Al-Daghri

Professor in Biochemistry department - Faculty of Science