By Salma El-Sakka
A 23-year-old teacher collapsed at work and was diagnosed with severe vitamin D deficiency, highlighting a growing health concern in the UK, particularly among girls and young women.
Personal Stories Highlight Silent Disease
Saskia Reeves-Priestley, a special educational needs teacher and keen goalkeeper, suddenly experienced dizziness, nausea, heart palpitations and heat while at work. Blood tests revealed her vitamin D levels were "next to nothing" despite playing football four times a week and feeling fit.
Amaka Osu, a 21-year-old student in Liverpool, began shaking and lost vision while cooking dinner. She was taken to A&E and also diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency, having previously attributed her tiredness to a busy schedule.
Rising Deficiency Rates in Young People
Data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey shows nearly a quarter of 11- to 18-year-olds in the UK were classed as deficient last year. Vitamin D comes from diet, supplements, and sunlight exposure, but lower sunlight levels, skin coverage, sunscreen use and darker skin pigmentation reduce the body's ability to produce it.
Experts Call for Policy Changes
Dr Suma Uday, a paediatric endocrinologist, describes deficiency as a "silent disease" causing fatigue, joint and bone pain, and osteomalacia in adults. She co-founded the ACT NOW Vitamin D group, which urges raising the diagnostic threshold to identify more cases earlier and warns of a lifelong deficit affecting generations.
Prof Martin Hewison of the University of Birmingham notes rickets persists a century after vitamin D's discovery. He advocates mandatory food fortification, as seen in Canada and Sweden, while the UK relies on voluntary fortification. He suggests routine supplementation may be necessary for certain groups during winter months.
Reeves-Priestley now takes regular vitamin D supplements and has returned to playing football.
