Popping that Vit D tab may be riskier than you imagine

New Delhi: A study conducted by the department of endocrinology and metabolism at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has suggested that most Delhiites working outdoors and even indoors are “not deficient” for vitamin D despite temperatures dipping in the winter. It has advised people to get vitamin D through sun exposure rather than unnecessary popping supplements, which may trigger heart problems during winter.

According to the Institute of Medicine, a vitamin D level of 12 nanograms is considered “not deficient” and nearly 20 nanograms/ml “sufficient”. The study stated that contrary to popular perception, vitamin D deficiency was not universal in urban populations and most outdoor workers achieved Vitamin D sufficiency by just following their day-to-day schedule. Those who always remain indoors should be worried about vitamin D deficiency.

Cautioning people, principal investigator of the study, Dr Ravinder Goswami from department of endocrinology, said unnecessary consumption of vitamin D supplements during winter can be harmful for those prone to heart diseases. A surge in serum calcium might occur after excessive doses of vitamin D.

“Higher blood calcium can make the heart irritable and prone to arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), which may cause sudden cardiac arrest. Myocardial infarctions are more common in winter due to early morning adrenaline surge. One should not chase vitamin D and keep the levels around 20 ng/l and obtain the same through sun exposure in the afternoon from 12pm onwards when the sun has risen high,” added Goswami.

The study stated, “The practice of advising vitamin D supplementation to urban indoors in presence of sufficient dietary calcium intake is questionable. Currently, vitamin D fortified milk is being marketed in Delhi. However, whether this fortification is needed indoors with sufficient calcium intake or for healthy outdoors needs to be debated in light of the present study. Unnecessary vitamin D supplementation could be associated with risks of hypercalcemia (above normal calcium level in blood) and hypercalciuria (excess calcium in urine) and so should be avoided.”

Titled “Absence of vitamin D deficiency among common outdoor workers in Delhi”, the study was done to assess the vitamin D status of 573 workers engaged in six types of outdoor jobs — hawkers or street vendors on pavements, attendants from five fuel stations around AIIMS, autorickshaws drivers, rickshaw-pullers from a central market near the institute, gardeners from two plantation nurseries of central Delhi and traffic police personnel. It was published in the prestigious journal of endocrine specialty “Clinical Endocrinology – PubMed”.

The participants were initially investigated during summer (June to September) and when sunshine was available for the most part of the day with temperature surging to 40 degrees Celsius. Reassessment was carried out during winter from January to March.