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Variations In 25-Hydroxyvitamin D In Countries From The Middle East And Europe: The Roles Of Uvb Exposure And Diet, William B. Grant, Hana M.A. Fakhoury, Spyridon N. Karras, Fatme Al Anouti, Harjit P. Bhattoa

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© 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) has been largely associated with latitude and sunshine exposure across several regions. According to previous results, 25(OH)D concentrations are, on average, relatively low in countries with abundant sunshine, including those of the Middle East and North Africa region, as well as lower-latitude Europe. The standard explanation for this phenomenon is that people wear concealing clothing because of cultural and religious practices and that high temperatures in summer limit direct sun exposure. However, the role of diet in the development of profound hypovitaminosis D has not been adequately …