The Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency in Ancient Egyptian Population from Baharia Oasis, the Greco Roman Period. | ||
The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine | ||
Article 15, Volume 55, Issue 1, April 2014, Pages 251-256 PDF (343.67 K) | ||
Document Type: Original Article | ||
DOI: 10.12816/0004511 | ||
Authors | ||
Rokia Abd ElShafy Soliman El-Banna1; Azza Mohamed Sarry El-Din2; Walaa Yousef Mohamed Ali2; Fatma Ahmed Eid3 | ||
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. | ||
Keywords | ||
rickets; Osteomalacia; Ancient Egyptians; Greco-Roman Period | ||
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