When I wrote about my struggle with low Vitamin D levels, I anticipated responses, the type I typically receive following a compelling, personal piece—emails, Facebook comments, WhatsApp messages, and similar interactions.
Rather, my phone kept on vibrating. Men and women, I hold in high regard. Women, in particular, I see as powerful. Individuals who manage households, hospitals, successful companies, and religious organizations. They all express the same sentiment: 'Doctor, this is me.'
It seems we are a country filled with skilled, capable individuals, all worn out, residing beneath one of the most intense suns in the world.
This leads us to a question that persists: How can an individual in Nigeria, where the sun rises confidently and departs hesitantly, lack the vitamin that comes from sunlight?
The solution, as it happens, is embedded in the way we currently live, our daily habits.
Stroll through numerous urban neighborhoods in Kano, Kaduna, or Abuja today, and you'll observe something that our parents and grandparents never experienced: homes constructed side by side, high perimeter walls standing like fortresses, balconies facing each other, and windows opening to concrete. Industrialization has transformed our connection with the sky. Where courtyards once let sunlight pour in freely, where women swept under open skies and children played barefoot on warm soil, we now have paved areas, enclosed structures, and architectural designs that prioritize privacy over the entry of natural light.
Sunlight nowadays needs to request approval to come in.
Long ago, in rural areas, women laid out their mats outside between 9 and 11 in the morning, socializing with friends and neighbors, and enjoying 'dumame' as part of a custom called 'shan hantsi'. Tasks such as removing pebbles from rice, 'surfe', and 'daka' (pounding) were done outdoors. Women spread their clothes outside, chatted over fences, watched over children, and soaked up the sunlight without giving it a second thought.
In the past, in rural regions, kitchens were constructed outside, and women needed to traverse the yard multiple times throughout the day to prepare a proper meal. The toilets were also located at the rear of the homes or in a separate structure away from the bedroom, necessitating going outside to use them.
It was normal. It was standard. In a sense, it was a treasure in terms of biochemistry. Nowadays, washing machines operate inside homes, drying racks remain still in tiled spaces, and in certain households, tumble dryers perform the task without any sunlight reaching the fabric or skin.
Modernization has brought us convenience, yet it has subtly removed casual sun exposure.
Security issues in this nation also restrict outdoor recreation. The heat pushes us inside during the highest UVB intensity times. The comfort of air conditioning is more appealing than temporary discomfort under the open sky. Unintentionally and cleverly, we have eliminated sunlight from our everyday routines.
Then there is our fascination with colored windows. We add tint to our vehicles for comfort and privacy. We tint our offices for style and improved temperature control. We tint our homes because the glare is uncomfortable. What we often fail to realize is that ultraviolet B rays don't stop at glass. You might spend an entire afternoon near a sunny window, feeling good about being close to natural light, but your skin is producing nothing. Zero. You're enjoying the brightness without any real advantage.
We travel to our jobs in darkened vehicles, occupy dimly lit workplaces, come back to shaded lounges, and question why exhaustion trails us like it does our rural counterparts.
If that wasn't enough, the air has undergone a transformation. Harmattan dust covers the sky with a seasonal mist. Fumes from generators mix with vehicle exhaust. Pollution in the city makes the air denser. Studies indicate that atmospheric pollution can decrease the level of UVB radiation that reaches the Earth's surface. Put simply, when you go outside, the sunlight might be filtered before it reaches you. We reside beneath what seems to be clear skies, but the quality of our sun exposure is affected.
Then, of course, there's our unhealthy diet. Natural sources of Vitamin D, such as fatty fish, fortified milk, and fortified cereals, are not regularly eaten in many Northern homes. Sunlight continues to be the main source. When this source is prevented by buildings, clothing, glass, pollution, traditional attire, melanin, or daily habits, deficiency slowly develops.
Another contributing factor is obesity. Supreme Obesity. Since Vitamin D is fat-soluble, it may get trapped in fat cells, decreasing its availability in the bloodstream. The vitamin exists, in a sense, but isn't practically usable. Another explanation for why shedding extra weight is important.
Workout, you mean? Oh yes! Even when we work out, we do it in the early mornings or during the evenings, when the sun has set.
For women, there are also distinct female elements, the ones we hold in silence.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding greatly raise the need for calcium. When Vitamin D levels are low, the body struggles to absorb calcium properly, leading it to take calcium from bones. With multiple pregnancies and extended breastfeeding without sufficient replacement, bone density can gradually decrease in a manner that isn't immediately noticeable but has serious long-term effects. Many women don't realize that their ongoing muscle pain, mild weakness, and constant tiredness might be due to chemical imbalances rather than personal traits.
The answer, naturally, is not to go and lie down somewhere in the desert and suffer from sunburn.
The most important thing is balance. We can't eliminate urbanization, and we shouldn't idealize a past that had its own challenges. However, we can change the way we live in the modern world. We can be mindful of sunlight in the same way we are now mindful of hydration, exercise, and sleep.
This involves going outside during the early morning or late afternoon for fifteen to thirty minutes, getting forearms or lower legs exposed for a short, safe period, depending on cultural and personal comfort. It means opting to walk short distances rather than always using a vehicle. It means preferring to sit in an open courtyard instead of staying under constant shade when possible. It also involves thinking again about the continuous darkness of heavily tinted spaces.
For women who are breastfeeding and those who are pregnant, it involves active monitoring and providing necessary supplements when required, instead of waiting for symptoms to develop. For healthcare professionals, it means recognizing that tiredness is not always mental in nature and that bone pain in a young woman should not be automatically attributed to 'stress.'
For families, it could involve bringing back minor habits we stopped without realizing, such as hanging laundry to dry outdoors when feasible, creating space for natural light, and letting sunlight into not just areas but also daily routines.
A diet can aid, although it seldom substitutes, for sunlight. Incorporating foods high in Vitamin D when available, and taking supplements when necessary, should be considered part of mindful self-care rather than an indulgence.
If there's one thing my low vitamin D levels have shown me, it's that health is seldom lost through grand actions. It fades away subtly, through minor daily habits done without conscious effort.
I have gained an understanding from my mistakes.
Provided by zaianews.com.