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

Summary

The video examines why vitamin D and vitamin B12 deficiencies are common in India despite abundant sunlight and widespread milk consumption. It also warns that excessive vitamin D can be dangerous, particularly when it is added improperly to food.

A case of vitamin D overdose

The video opens with a 2025 case in Chandigarh involving a father and his two sons. All three developed very high blood calcium levels and kidney problems, and one required dialysis. Their vitamin D levels were reported at roughly 886–980 ng/mL, even though none of them took supplements.

An investigation traced the likely cause to an unlabeled cooking oil they had bought locally. The oil was found to contain an extremely high concentration of vitamin D, apparently because of excessive fortification. The case illustrates that vitamins can be harmful in excessive amounts and that unlabeled foods may pose risks.

Why deficiencies are common

Vitamin D

The body makes vitamin D when UV-B sunlight reaches the skin, but several factors can limit production:

• Urban lifestyles often mean spending much of the day indoors.
• Closely spaced, tall buildings can block sunlight, while air pollution may reduce UV-B exposure.
• Melanin reduces the skin’s production of vitamin D. The video says darker-skinned people may need considerably more time in the sun than lighter-skinned people.

Food is not a dependable source for many people. Vitamin D occurs in relatively small amounts in foods such as fatty fish, egg yolks, and some mushrooms.

The video also notes a trade-off: UV exposure helps the body make vitamin D, but can damage skin and increase long-term skin-cancer risk.

Vitamin B12

The body cannot make B12, so it must come from food or supplements. It occurs naturally mainly in animal foods, including dairy, eggs, fish, meat, and poultry—not in plant-based foods. This makes vegetarians and vegans more vulnerable, although eating meat does not guarantee adequate B12.

Absorption can also be impaired. The video notes that long-term use of metformin or some acidity medicines can reduce B12 absorption.

B12 deficiency may take years to become apparent because the body stores it. Nerve symptoms can occur even without anaemia, so a normal red-blood-cell count does not by itself rule out a deficiency.

Deficiency estimates and evidence

The video stresses that estimates vary. It cites studies suggesting widespread vitamin D and B12 deficiency, while noting that findings depend on the population studied and on what level is defined as deficient. For vitamin D, it contrasts the US Food and Nutrition Board’s threshold of below 12 ng/mL with Indian doctors’ use of below 20 ng/mL.

The video also cautions that deficiency is not limited to poorer households: surveys and studies it cites found substantial deficiencies among urban residents, middle-class people, and teenagers.

The narrator challenges exaggerated claims about supplements:

• Vitamin D is important for bone health, but the video says evidence has not confirmed many broader claims—such as preventing cancer or heart disease—in people who already have adequate levels.
• Extra B12 is not presented as an energy or athletic-performance booster for people who are not deficient.
• The video says there is no established reason to pay more for particular forms of B12 on the assumption that they are better absorbed.

Supplements: different risks for D and B12

Vitamin B12 is water-soluble, while vitamin D is fat-soluble and can accumulate in body fat. As a result, excessive vitamin D can cause toxicity; it should not be treated as harmless simply because it is a vitamin. The Chandigarh case is presented as an example of how an overdose can happen through an unexpected source, not only through pills.

Practical guidance presented in the video

The narrator’s general approach is to identify a deficiency and address it with professional guidance, rather than taking supplements blindly:

1. For adults, get tested before starting supplements. The video recommends checking vitamin D and B12 levels and discussing the results with a doctor. It describes vitamin D drops prescribed for young children as a separate case.
2. Consider whether you are in a higher-risk group.
   • For B12, the video names older adults, people with stomach or intestinal conditions, vegetarians, and children of vegan mothers.
   • For vitamin D, it names people with chronic kidney or liver disease and those taking steroids or anti-epileptic medicines long term.
3. Consider food sources, especially for B12. The video highlights milk and other dairy products, as well as eggs. It says a glass of milk contains about 1 microgram of B12 and recommends checking fortified-food labels for the vitamin name and quantity.
4. Avoid unlabeled products. The narrator advises checking packaging and the FSSAI “+F” mark on fortified foods, and not buying unlabeled products.
5. Use supplements only when needed and as directed.
   • The video gives common vitamin D approaches as examples: a 60,000-IU sachet once a week for a limited course, or daily drops whose dose depends on the product. It emphasizes following a doctor’s instructions and checking the label; these are not doses to choose independently.
   • B12 is commonly taken as a tablet, while injections may be used for severe deficiency or poor absorption. The narrator says some people, including vegans and some vegetarians, may need long-term supplementation and should consult a doctor before stopping or changing treatment.
6. Review ongoing supplementation with a clinician. The video’s closing message is to test, discuss the results with a doctor, and periodically reassess whether supplementation is still needed.

The overall lesson is to avoid both panic and blind faith in supplements: deficiencies deserve attention, but supplements—particularly vitamin D—should be used carefully and for an appropriate reason.

Other segment

A sponsored segment for BuyHatke recommends comparing online prices and checking price history before purchasing, rather than relying on sale labels alone.

Speakers and sources featured

• Dhruv Rathee — the video’s narrator and presenter.
• BuyHatke — the sponsor featured in a price-comparison advertisement.
• Sources cited or described by the narrator: studies and reviews on vitamin D and B12; India’s Health Ministry’s Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey; the US Food and Nutrition Board; the NIH; doctors involved in the Chandigarh case; and the investigation into the family’s cooking oil.

No other individual speakers are identified in the subtitles.