Vitamin D deficiency due to obscurations

Study: Veiling can cause vitamin D deficiency

22.08.2011

While the veiling of the body has always been regarded as more beneficial to health, as less harmful UV light reaches the skin, the Robert Koch Institute is currently warning against diminished vitamin D formation while covering all skin surfaces.

According to recent studies, the body can not produce enough vitamin D if people rarely go out or disguise their bodies, said Christa Scheidt-Nave, epidemiologist at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). Vitamin D can only be formed by the body when there is enough sunlight, the expert explained. In the organism, vitamin D not only takes over important functions for bones and teeth, but also has a preventive effect on diseases of the cardiovascular system and cancer, according to the RKI epidemiologist. Therefore, a vitamin D deficiency can bring significant health risks, warns the RKI.

Vitamin D is produced by the organism with the help of sunlight
Although vitamin D is also contained in various foods, according to the RKI expert, the daily requirement can only be achieved with the help of solar radiation and the body's own vitamin D production. Only 20 percent of the required vitamin D can therefore be taken with the food, 80 percent must produce the organism itself. For this purpose, the sun's rays on the skin is absolutely necessary, so that in veiled persons, the vitamin D production is significantly reduced. People who rarely go out or cover all skin surfaces are „unable to produce enough vitamin D“, explained the RKI epidemiologist. Already by a small lack of vitamin D in the long term, however, significant health problems such as chronic cardiovascular diseases or cancer can be triggered, so Christa Scheidt-Nave on.

Increased risk of cancer due to vitamin D deficiency
Above all, persons with dark skin, whose ancestors come from countries with high solar radiation, must be particularly careful in this country to get enough sunlight daily, since their body's own vitamin D production requires significantly higher levels of radiation than fair-skinned people, explained the expert of the RKI. According to Christa Scheidt-Nave have to „Darker pigmented people expose about six times as much to the sun as lighter skin types,“ to produce comparable amounts of vitamin D. The veiled women with relatively dark skin types therefore threatened in the relatively low sunlight in this country in the long run a vitamin D deficiency, which can lead to serious health problems, so the warning of the RKI. Because vitamin D not only has a significant impact on the calcium balance (crucial for bones and teeth), but also acts according to recent study results to prevent many other diseases such as cardiovascular disease or cancer, said the epidemiologist of the RKI. According to Christa Scheidt-Nave, various scientific studies have confirmed that high levels of vitamin D in the blood, for example, reduce the risk of colon and breast cancer by around 40 to 50 percent. In addition, vitamin D is attributed positive effects on the mental constitution. Thus, Finnish scientists reported the „National Institute for Health and Welfare“ in July last year, that their studies had found a link between vitamin D deficiency and the onset of Parkinson's disease.

Obscuring in low sunlight particularly problematic
According to the RKI, the concealment of women in this country poses considerable health risks, since 80 percent of the daily vitamin D requirement can only be produced by the own organism with the help of sufficient sunlight. It is only under the influence of UV light that hits the skin with the sun's rays that the body is able to meet its vitamin D needs. Veiled women risk a long-term vitamin D deficiency, which in turn can promote the onset of severe chronic diseases. So far, mainly bone disorders such as arthritis, osteoporosis and the so-called bone softening (osteomalacia, in children: rickets) were in the foreground. However, according to the RKI, recent studies show that cancer and cardiovascular diseases are also favored by vitamin D deficiency.

Health criticism of the concealment
Whether the warnings of the RKI be considered in the population, however, remains to be seen. Especially since the harmful effect of UV light can not be easily dismissed out of hand and therefore there are doubts about the pros and cons of concealment. As the General Secretary of the German-Turkish Islamic Institute for Religion (DITIB), Ali Ihsan Ünlü, said in light of the RKI's warnings, the current research should not be used for other purposes such as a headscarf ban, but rather as a „purely health criticism“ be understood. This does not necessarily have one „Criticizing the concealment“ his. For example, it is quite possible to use substances that ensure that sufficient UV light reaches the skin surface despite concealment. (Fp)

Also read:
Study: Bone atrophy due to abdominal fat?
Calcium supplements only in consultation with the doctor
Bone softening: osteomalacia and rickets

Picture credits: Rike