By Amina Abdul Salam A test for vitamin D is one of the most important blood tests to have before marriage. Shortage of this vitamin in pregnant women may cause several problems for the foetus. Dr Amal Fathi, Consultant in Obesity, stresses the importance of eating food rich in vitamin D before marriage to avoid its shortage in the body. Lack of vitamin D causes many health problems, especially in bones and makes one more prone to osteoporosis. In addition, it leads to weakness in the body's immunity and delays the production of hormones in the body. "The main job of vitamin D is to keep the right amount of calcium and phosphorus in your blood. These are the two nutrients that work together to make your bones strong. If you don't have vitamin D in your body, only a small amount of the calcium from your diet can be absorbed by your body, and only a little more than half of the phosphorus is absorbed. Without enough calcium and phosphorus, your bones will become brittle and break easily," said to Dr Fathi. Dr Fathi noted that shortage of vitamin D badly affects the foetus and makes it more prone to rickets plus other problems in the bones. She said that lack of vitamin D is very harmful to a child. In most cases, he or she becomes liable to immune maladies such as colds and pneumonia. She recommends one should get acquainted with the ratio of vitamin D in the body before marriage to reach optimal treatment for high levels of vitamin D or to avoid pregnancy in case of deficiency in order to maintain foetal health. Dr Fathi says the toxicity of vitamin D comes from overdoses of food supplements of this vitamin not through following a diet or exposure to sunlight. However, the intake of vitamin D ranges from 10,000 to 40,000 daily international units for a period of a month or several months. And that may lead to an overdose. She explains that vitamin D is a basic vitamin and it exists in every cell in the body. It is produced by the skin if the skin is subjected to sunlight. In addition, there are food sources of vitamin D, such as fish liver oil and fatty fish. For those who do not get enough sunlight supplements of vitamin D are required for their bone health and boosting the immune system. The World Health Organistion (WHO) recommends 4,000 international units as the safe level for taking vitamin D daily.
