Why Are You ALWAYS Tired? | India's Vitamin D & B12 Crisis | Jaago Grahak Jaago | Dhruv Rathee — Transcript

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1. 0:00In April 2025, a 26 year old man comes to a hospital in Chandigarh.
2. 0:04For the past three days, he was constantly vomiting.
3. 0:08He had severe stomach pain and his body felt completely lifeless.
4. 0:12After a few hours, his younger brother also reaches
5. 0:14the hospital with stomach pain and vomiting.
6. 0:17Then the doctors checked their father and found out that
7. 0:21he had also been suffering from fatigue and loss of appetite for a week.
8. 0:25When the blood tests were done, one specific
9. 0:27result emerged for all three family members.
10. 0:29Blood calcium had increased to a dangerous level and their kidneys were failing.
11. 0:34The older brother's condition was so bad that he had to be put on dialysis.
12. 0:39But the real shock came when the Vitamin D report arrived.
13. 0:43Vitamin D, which in a normal person should be 30 to 50 nanograms per millilitre,
14. 0:48had crossed 980 in the older brother.
15. 0:51In the younger brother, it was 976, and in the father, it was 886.
16. 0:56That is, the Vitamin D levels were 20 times more than the normal upper limit.
17. 1:00But the question was, where did this Vitamin D come from?
18. 1:04None of these three had taken any Vitamin D pills or any other supplements.
19. 1:08And the most shocking thing was that the
20. 1:10vitamin that brought these three to the hospital
21. 1:12is the same vitamin that most Indians are struggling with a deficiency of.
22. 1:16According to studies, more than 70% of the
23. 1:19Indian population has a Vitamin D deficiency.
24. 1:22Statistically, out of every 3 people watching this video,
25. 1:262 likely have a deficiency of Vitamin D.
26. 1:28There is another vitamin, Vitamin B12,
27. 1:32which about 31% of the population,
28. 1:34or every third teenager in the country, is deficient in.
29. 1:37Let's find out in today's video
30. 1:39the reasons behind the deficiency of these two vitamins in the country
31. 1:42and what you should do here to address your own deficiency.
32. 1:47And by the end of the video, you will also know
33. 1:50where this excess Vitamin D in the blood of these three patients came from,
34. 1:53because the answer to this question can be in the kitchen of any ordinary home.
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53. 2:51Hello, friends!
54. 2:52Did you know that without Vitamin D, no matter how much calcium
55. 2:56you consume, the truth is that only 10 to 15% of it can be absorbed by your body?
56. 3:01And if there is a deficiency of B12, from tingling in hands and
57. 3:04feet to weak memory, the impact directly falls on the nerves.
58. 3:09All these vitamins are actually a type of
59. 3:11organic compounds that our body needs very much.
60. 3:14Vitamin D absorbs calcium from food,
61. 3:17and Vitamin B12 is essential for the functioning of our central nervous system.
62. 3:21Interestingly, our body can produce Vitamin D on its own.
63. 3:25When the ultraviolet rays of the sun,
64. 3:27specifically speaking, UV B rays, fall on our skin,
65. 3:31they convert molecules called 7-dehydrocholesterol
66. 3:35in the skin into pre-vitamin D3.
67. 3:38In simpler terms, the sun helps out body produce Vitamin D.
68. 3:42But Vitamin B12 isn't produced naturally in our bodies.
69. 3:46We need to consume it.
70. 3:48One of the best sources is milk.
71. 3:49Especially cow's milk is considered an excellent source of Vitamin B12.
72. 3:54And here comes the biggest paradox.
73. 3:57For Vitamin D, you need sunlight.
74. 3:59And India is a tropical country, where there is no
75. 4:02shortage of sunlight for most months of the year.
76. 4:05So logically, Vitamin D deficiency should be a rare problem in our country.
77. 4:09But an analysis of 39 different studies found that
78. 4:13approximately 67% of people in India are Vitamin D deficient.
79. 4:17That means 2 out of every 3 Indians have a deficiency of Vitamin D.
80. 4:21And the same is the case with Vitamin B12.
81. 4:23Milk provides Vitamin B12, and India is a milk-loving country.
82. 4:27We are taught to drink milk since childhood.
83. 4:30But even after this, an analysis of 20 studies found
84. 4:32that 51% of Indians have a Vitamin B12 deficiency.
85. 4:37How can this thing be possible?
86. 4:38In a country where the sources of these two vitamins are so abundant,
87. 4:42there is a large-scale deficiency of these two vitamins among the people.
88. 4:45Before knowing the answer to this question, we have to understand another thing.
89. 4:50If you look superficially, you will feel that
90. 4:51the ones suffering with deficiency of vitamins,
91. 4:54will be among the poorest.
92. 4:55But the truth is quite the opposite.
93. 4:58In the Health Ministry's Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey,
94. 5:00the highest Vitamin D deficiency
95. 5:02was found in people living in cities and children from rich households.
96. 5:06In this same survey, the same thing came to light regarding B12.
97. 5:09Gujarat is considered a wealthy state,
98. 5:11yet the deficiency of B12 was found to be the highest among teenagers there.
99. 5:14Almost every other teenager was found to have B12 deficiency.
100. 5:17And in a study in Pune, 81% of middle-class men in
101. 5:20cities were found to have Vitamin B12 deficiency.
102. 5:2381%!
103. 5:25This might sound really weird, but think about it,
104. 5:28where do the people living in cities spend their days?
105. 5:31In classrooms, vehicles,
106. 5:34in their homes, places without sunlight.
107. 5:37Similarly, our cities are settled in such a way that in
108. 5:40densely populated areas, buildings are so close
109. 5:43and high that sunlight cannot reach inside.
110. 5:46On top of that, air pollution also reduces the sun's UV-B rays.
111. 5:50But even bigger than all this is our skin.
112. 5:53Our skin contains melanin,
113. 5:55a natural pigment, which works like a sunscreen, a natural sunscreen.
114. 6:00This melanin determines your natural skin colour.
115. 6:05People with darker skin have more melanin, and
116. 6:09those with fair skin, have lower melanin content.
117. 6:12Melanin controls your body's ability to produce Vitamin D.
118. 6:15Dark-skinned people might have to stay in the sun 3 to 6 times longer
119. 6:21than fair-skinned people to produce the same amount of Vitamin D.
120. 6:27According to an average Indian skin tone, to make sufficient Vitamin D,
121. 6:32direct sunlight should fall on the face,
122. 6:34arms, and legs for more than 45 minutes daily.
123. 6:37This is the reason why despite so much direct sunlight,
124. 6:40Indians have a Vitamin D deficiency.
125. 6:42And food doesn't help much either.
126. 6:44Because Vitamin D is found in small quantities
127. 6:46only in fatty fish, egg yolks, and some mushrooms.
128. 6:49But coming to Vitamin B12, the reason behind it is different.
129. 6:52The first reason is food.
130. 6:55Our body cannot produce Vitamin B12 on its own.
131. 6:58So we have to fulfil its requirement from food.
132. 7:01And here is bad news for vegetarians like me.
133. 7:04Because Vitamin B12 is not naturally found in any plant-based food.
134. 7:09Because plants do not make B12.
135. 7:11It is naturally found only in some animal foods
136. 7:14like fish, meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products.
137. 7:18This is the reason why the risk of low B12
138. 7:20in vegetarians increases by about 4.5 times.
139. 7:22But eating non-veg food is also no guarantee.
140. 7:25In a study of men who ate non-veg, B12 was found to be low in almost half of them.
141. 7:29And the reason behind this was that the non-veg food people were eating
142. 7:32did not contain a sufficient amount of B12.
143. 7:36Now, even if there is B12 in the food, it is
144. 7:39possible that the body does not absorb it well.
145. 7:41Even then you can have a B12 deficiency.
146. 7:44Taking diabetes medicine like metformin or acidity medicines for
147. 7:47years can decrease your body's ability to absorb Vitamin B12.
148. 7:53The biggest problem is that whether it is
149. 7:55Vitamin D or B12, both deficiencies come hidden.
150. 7:58Vitamin D deficiency is often subclinical, meaning no clear symptoms are visible.
151. 8:04Therefore, it often goes ignored.
152. 8:06Meanwhile, B12 deficiency can take years to show up.
153. 8:09An adult needs only 2.4 micrograms of B12 daily.
154. 8:14And our body stores about 1 to 5 milligrams of B12.
155. 8:19Just think, our body has thousands of days of B12 stock kept.
156. 8:23If we reduce our consumption of B12 from today, our body won't even
157. 8:26feel the difference for 1,000 days, which is about 2 to 3 years.
158. 8:32In such a situation, you won't feel anything, but when
159. 8:34that stock is finished, then symptoms will start appearing.
160. 8:38Now, before moving forward, it is necessary to clarify one thing:
161. 8:41there are different numbers regarding exactly what
162. 8:44percentage of people in India have Vitamin D deficiency.
163. 8:47One study says that one in every five Indians is Vitamin D deficient.
164. 8:50Another says that 70% of the population has a deficiency.
165. 8:54And the reason is that experts themselves disagree
166. 8:56on at what number a deficiency actually occurs.
167. 9:00America's Food and Nutrition Board says there is a
168. 9:03risk of deficiency below 12 nanograms per millilitre.
169. 9:05Whereas Indian doctors consider a level below
170. 9:0820 nanograms per millilitre as deficient.
171. 9:10Similarly, there is a problem with B12.
172. 9:12It is believed that if there is a B12 deficiency,
173. 9:14anaemia, meaning a deficiency of red blood cells, will definitely be seen.
174. 9:18But the thing is, this is not necessarily the case.
175. 9:20Nerve-related symptoms can occur even without anaemia.
176. 9:24Therefore, having normal red blood cells
177. 9:26does not rule out B12 deficiency on its own.
178. 9:29Now, along with these numbers and tests,
179. 9:31there is also confusion regarding this thing:
180. 9:33what is the actual potential of Vitamin D and B12?
181. 9:35What can they do?
182. 9:36And taking advantage of this confusion, many people sell supplements.
183. 9:40Often Vitamin D is sold as a pill that can protect
184. 9:44against cancer and heart attacks.
185. 9:46But when a very large randomised trial was
186. 9:48conducted on more than 25,000 people in America,
187. 9:51in those people who already had enough Vitamin D, there
188. 9:56was no evidence that it reduces cancer or heart disease.
189. 10:01A review of more than 250 studies found that apart from bone health,
190. 10:06nothing else has a confirmed relationship with Vitamin D.
191. 10:09And in a review of 69 trials this year, these pills did
192. 10:12not even significantly reduce fractures in the elderly.
193. 10:16Similarly, Vitamin B12 is also often sold as an energy booster.
194. 10:19But here too, it has been found that in a person who is not deficient in B12,
195. 10:23taking extra Vitamin B12 does not improve athletic performance or endurance.
196. 10:29Besides this, some Vitamin B12 supplements like Methylcobalamin are sold by saying
197. 10:35that they are premium and better absorbed.
198. 10:38But there is no evidence that the absorption
199. 10:40of B12 changes according to its form.
200. 10:42No matter what form you take B12 in,
201. 10:44it is absorbed only as much as the body needs.
202. 10:47For this, you do not need to buy any expensive version.
203. 10:50Now, here comes a big difference between B12 and D.
204. 10:52B12 is a water-soluble vitamin.
205. 10:55Meaning it can dissolve in water.
206. 10:57What does this mean? If you take this vitamin in excess,
207. 11:01if you take it in excess, it does not cause any harm.
208. 11:04Your body can simply remove it through urine.
209. 11:07There is not much danger of an overdose.
210. 11:09But the case for Vitamin D is exactly the opposite.
211. 11:12Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin.
212. 11:14It does not dissolve in water.
213. 11:16It is stored in our body fat.
214. 11:18So it cannot be removed through urine.
215. 11:20Therefore, if you take too much Vitamin D, an overdose can happen.
216. 11:23As happened in that Chandigarh case
217. 11:26which I talked about at the beginning of the video.
218. 11:27The question is, how did those three, the father and sons, get this overdose?
219. 11:32They hadn't even taken any supplements.
220. 11:34The answer is hidden in a cooking oil.
221. 11:36The investigation revealed that for the past two months,
222. 11:39the whole house was using a single cooking oil to prepare food
223. 11:42which was bought from a local vendor without a label.
224. 11:45In every single millilitre of this oil,
225. 11:471,286 micrograms of Vitamin D was found.
226. 11:50An adult needs only 15 micrograms of Vitamin D for the entire day.
227. 11:55This means that in every millilitre, every drop of this oil,
228. 11:5785 times more Vitamin D than the daily limit was dissolved.
229. 12:01Imagine, at least one spoon of oil is added
230. 12:04to a vegetable dish, which is 5 millilitres.
231. 12:06That contained about 250,000 IU of Vitamin D.
232. 12:09Doctors usually give a weekly sachet of 60,000 IU, just one
233. 12:12spoonful of this oil contained more Vit D than 4 such sachets.
234. 12:15And this process continued daily for 2 months.
235. 12:19And where did this Vitamin D3 in that oil come from?
236. 12:21Doctors believe it came from fortification.
237. 12:24A process in which vitamins are added to food to increase its nutritional value.
238. 12:28They sold it as 'fortified for bone health' and will be good for bones.
239. 12:34But so many vitamins were mixed into it that it became poisonous.
240. 12:38Perhaps it happened due to a mistake by the person who made this oil.
241. 12:43Now the question arises, what can an ordinary family do here?
242. 12:46How can you safely fulfil the deficiency of these vitamins?
243. 12:50Here are some things that everyone should know.
244. 12:53First thing, do not take any supplement without getting your blood test done.
245. 12:56You can continue the Vitamin D drops that doctors
246. 12:58prescribe for young children without a test.
247. 13:01But for an adult person,
248. 13:03first you have to get a blood test done to see
249. 13:05how much Vitamin D and B12 is in your blood.
250. 13:08If a deficiency is found, only then should you take a supplement.
251. 13:11And that too after asking a doctor.
252. 13:13But statistically, because so many people have Vitamin D deficiency,
253. 13:16chance that you will also have it.
254. 13:18So the first thing I will say is to go
255. 13:20and get a blood test done with your doctor.
256. 13:22Second, see if you are in a high-risk group.
257. 13:25According to the NIH, elderly people,
258. 13:27people with intestinal and stomach diseases,
259. 13:30vegetarians, and children of vegan mothers all have high chances of B12 deficiency.
260. 13:34Similarly, if you have chronic kidney or liver disease, or if you
261. 13:38have been taking steroids or anti-epileptic medicines for a long time,
262. 13:41you should regularly get a Vitamin D test done
263. 13:44and take supplements under the supervision of a doctor.
264. 13:46Now, the first choice to overcome B12
265. 13:48deficiency is food, especially dairy products.
266. 13:52And within dairy products, especially milk.
267. 13:54A glass of milk contains 1 microgram of Vitamin B12.
268. 13:58That means you can get 50% of your daily requirement from here.
269. 14:02Apart from this, curd and eggs are also good sources of Vitamin B12.
270. 14:05Read the labels carefully while eating.
271. 14:07While taking fortified food, look at the name
272. 14:09and quantity of the vitamin on the packet.
273. 14:11And look for the FSSAI logo with the +F mark.
274. 14:15Do not buy an unlabelled product under any circumstances.
275. 14:18Otherwise, the same thing could happen as it did to the family in Chandigarh.
276. 14:21Third, now come the supplements.
277. 14:24If your diet does not meet the requirements,
278. 14:26then it is important to take supplements.
279. 14:28For me, personally, my diet does not meet my requirements,
280. 14:32so I have to take both Vitamin D and B12 supplements.
281. 14:36Supplements come in many forms.
282. 14:38They can be taken through injections,
283. 14:40through sachets that you mix with food,
284. 14:42or even droplets.
285. 14:44The most popular option in India is sachets,
286. 14:47which most Indian doctors suggest to their patients.
287. 14:50If you go to a doctor and find yourself deficient in Vitamin D,
288. 14:53the doctor will give you a sachet that looks like this.
289. 14:57It usually contains 60,000 IU,
290. 14:59i.e., 1.5 mg of Vitamin D.
291. 15:03And they will tell you to take it once a week for about 12 weeks.
292. 15:06The important thing to remember is that
293. 15:08you should not take it every day, but once a week.
294. 15:11The second option is oral solutions.
295. 15:13Bottles that contain Vitamin D in the form of liquid or droplets.
296. 15:18Often, in most brands, each drop has about 1,000 IU Vitamin D,
297. 15:20and you have to take only 1 to 2 drops a day.
298. 15:24But it depends on the brand, and the quantity can be different.
299. 15:28So it is important to check the label
300. 15:30and take as much as the doctor says.
301. 15:32Personally, I prefer to take this because it becomes a habit.
302. 15:36You do not have to think every day whether
303. 15:38you should take Vitamin D today or tomorrow.
304. 15:40You take it every day.
305. 15:42You take 1 to 2 drops with your
306. 15:45breakfast and your requirement will be met regularly.
307. 15:48You should take it for a long period.
308. 15:51Because it contains the lowest amount of Vitamin D per dose,
309. 15:53the risk of overdose is minimal.
310. 15:56And even if you miss a day or two,
311. 15:58it is not a big deal.
312. 15:59You can continue following your routine the next day.
313. 16:02Similarly, tablets are generally suggested for Vitamin B12,
314. 16:06which you take with water.
315. 16:08Because it is water-soluble.
316. 16:09Generally, you should take fat-soluble things with food,
317. 16:13with fats,
318. 16:13and water-soluble things with water.
319. 16:16But if there is a severe deficiency in B12,
320. 16:18doctors can suggest injections.
321. 16:21Like hydroxycobalamin injections twice a year.
322. 16:26Which is a type of Vitamin B12.
323. 16:28If the body is not able to absorb B12,
324. 16:30then injections have to be taken every 2 to 3 months,
325. 16:32often for life.
326. 16:34And if your levels have become normal after taking B12,
327. 16:37that does not mean you should stop taking tablets.
328. 16:40You should not stop on your own.
329. 16:41Because vegans and many vegetarians
330. 16:43have to take it for a long time.
331. 16:45Possibly for life.
332. 16:46So you should consult a doctor before making changes.
333. 16:49In the Chandigarh case,
334. 16:51even after treatment,
335. 16:52even after 4 months,
336. 16:54all three of them had Vitamin D levels at the top of the normal range.
337. 16:57Because the amount of Vitamin D stored in
338. 16:59fat does not leave the body for months.
339. 17:00It gradually accumulates and the overdose also gradually decreases.
340. 17:05Remember, the answer to vitamin deficiency is neither fear nor blind faith.
341. 17:09The answer is information.
342. 17:10First, get your test done, then ask the doctor,
343. 17:13and then change your diet according to your needs.
344. 17:15If you need it, take supplements.
345. 17:17And ask yourself from time to time,
346. 17:19how much of the supplements you are taking
347. 17:21should you continue to take?
348. 17:23Now, you will notice one thing here,
349. 17:25that I have not suggested anywhere
350. 17:27to just go in the sun and complete your Vitamin D requirement.
351. 17:30First, how much Vitamin D you get from the sun
352. 17:33depends on your skin colour.
353. 17:35The darker your skin colour,
354. 17:37the less Vitamin D your body can make,
355. 17:39and the longer you have to stand in the sun.
356. 17:42But the second and most important reason is
357. 17:44that harmful ultraviolet rays also come from the sun.
358. 17:48These are the same ultraviolet rays whose exposure
359. 17:50causes ageing of your skin, wrinkles,
360. 17:54skin damage, and furthermore,
361. 17:57increases the risk of skin cancer in the long term.
362. 18:01You heard it right.
363. 18:02The same ultraviolet rays with which your body makes Vitamin D,
364. 18:05which is beneficial for your body,
365. 18:07are the same ultraviolet rays damaging your skin
366. 18:09and increasing the risk of skin cancer.
367. 18:12This is why it is always said that when you go
368. 18:15out in the sun for a long time, apply sunscreen.
369. 18:18And if you have sunscreen on, your body will obviously
370. 18:20not be able to fulfil the Vitamin D deficiency.
371. 18:22The same applies to your eyes.
372. 18:24Will you believe me if I tell you that your chances of needing
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