El-Banna, R., Sarry El-Din, A., Ali, W., Eid, F. (2014). The Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency in Ancient Egyptian Population from Baharia Oasis, the Greco Roman Period.. The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine, 55(1), 251-256. doi: 10.12816/0004511
Rokia Abd ElShafy Soliman El-Banna; Azza Mohamed Sarry El-Din; Walaa Yousef Mohamed Ali; Fatma Ahmed Eid. "The Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency in Ancient Egyptian Population from Baharia Oasis, the Greco Roman Period.". The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine, 55, 1, 2014, 251-256. doi: 10.12816/0004511
El-Banna, R., Sarry El-Din, A., Ali, W., Eid, F. (2014). 'The Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency in Ancient Egyptian Population from Baharia Oasis, the Greco Roman Period.', The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine, 55(1), pp. 251-256. doi: 10.12816/0004511
El-Banna, R., Sarry El-Din, A., Ali, W., Eid, F. The Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency in Ancient Egyptian Population from Baharia Oasis, the Greco Roman Period.. The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine, 2014; 55(1): 251-256. doi: 10.12816/0004511
The Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency in Ancient Egyptian Population from Baharia Oasis, the Greco Roman Period.
1Biological Anthropology Department , National Research Centre
2Biological Anthropology Department , National Research Centre.
3Zoology Department, faculty of Science , Al-Azhar University
Abstract
Background: Vitamin D deficiency is considered to be the most common nutritional deficiency and also one of the most common undiagnosed medical conditions in the world. Vitamin D is naturally present only in minor amounts in most foods; the great majority is synthesized by the action of ultraviolet light on chemical precursors in the skin.
The manifestation of vitamin D deficiency in sub adults is referred to as rickets, and in adults, osteomalacia . Rickets and osteomalacia are the sub adult and adult expressions of a disease in which the underlying problem is a failure to mineralize bone protein (osteoid). The most common cause of this disease is a physiological deficiency in vitamin D. The associated problems include deformed bones. Material and Methods: This study aimed to investigate the skeletal remains of ancient Egyptians from Baharia Oasis population for lesions indicative of vitamin D deficiency (rickets and osteomalacia). The material consisted of 1075 commingled bones (38 sub adults and1037 adults). They were recovered from Baharia oasis. Results: The results showed that, there was no evidence of rickets in sub adult group. The prevalence of osteomalacia in adult Baharia populations was 7.4% ; all were adult males.
This result could indicate that this population was subjected to sunlight all over the year and their diet was rich of calcium and phosphorus. Conclusion: These few cases that were found may be due to mechanical stress during wine and textile production.
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