Take in sunlight to develop Vitamin-D and combat COVID-19: Sheikh Nahyan

By Rahul Vaimal, Associate Editor
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Vitamin-D conference
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UAE’s Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan has advised citizens to use the sun to get their daily dose of vitamin D and stay away from critical diseases.

His observation came during his presence at the inauguration of the 2020 edition of Abu Dhabi International Conference on Vitamin-D deficiency and human health .

Sheikh Nahyan talked about the importance of the conference as it highlights the health issues related to Vitamin D. He added tha the event provides insights on appropriate, preventive actions and treatment. The Minister stated that Vitamin-D insufficiency causes significant health issues such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity and reproductive issues and has greater significance, especially in this pandemic situation.

Sheikh Nahyan remarked that “When we are weakened by any of these illnesses, we are more susceptible to the coronavirus disease. The lack of vitamin D fuels this global pandemic. We should welcome the sun and make use of it. Our work evolves from the sun – the great source of vitamin D”.

The minister pointed out that Abu Dhabi has got a lot of Vitamin-D because of its good sunny weather, but the citizens are not making use of it properly. He added that Vitamin-D is not only a necessary vitamin but also a vital hormone for the growth and survival of human beings.

The conference which was conducted under the theme “Exploring New Dimension of Vitamin-D and its Impact on Human Health” hosted several renowned speakers, eminent Vitamin-D experts and scientists who discussed the importance of the component along with new approaches in fighting with the vitamin deficiency and its impact in the lives of peoples.

The researcher has been examining the biology of Vitamin-D for a long time. Over the past several years, the annual Abu Dhabi Conference on Vitamin-D and human health has become an important forum to discuss the latest findings in the early detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of Vitamin-D deficiency, said Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, the conference’s president and managing director of Abu Dhabi-based healthcare group VPS Healthcare.

He added that the Pandemic has made them understand the importance of these conferences when new virus strains threaten human life. He observed that the world must come together to handle with crisis and the events like this enable them to examine the way ahead and to fight against the crisis.

Vitamin-D deficiency 

Vitamin-D deficiency can be reportedly diagnosed by a simple blood test.  Regular consumption of tuna, sardines, mackerel, and salmon can help in maintaining Vitamin-D level in the body. Liver and eggs also contain a good amount of the vitamin which helps to resist major diseases.

Vitamin-D from the Sunlight 

A 15-minute exposure to sun a few times in a week can provide individuals with enough Vitamin-D to maintain it at healthy levels while minor changes may depend upon factors such as weight, age, colour and skin size of a person.

10.00 AM and 3.00 PM is the best time for the sun exposure, particularlyduring UAE winter season.

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