Consider this scenario.  A young healthy active individual suffers from aches and pains across various parts of his body and even though he has been to several doctors he can’t figure out why. No real diagnosis is given and he begins to think he has to live with it. This may be an onset of a vitamin D deficiency that up until the recent past was taken very lightly. In my practice of seeing people engaging in sports or active lifestyle and also those that suffer from various pains due to a sedentary life, Vitamin D and its tracking is a must. For the active person, from the point of view of preventing any bone injuries due to its deficiency and in the sedentary population from the view of preventing deadly diseases such as diabetes, osteoporosis and even cancers. Almost 85% of my patients turn out to be deficient at varying levels. Let’s understand why Vitamin D is an important aspect of your health that you must wake up to. 


An estimated 40-75% of the world’s population is vitamin D deficient. The reasons are many including reduced sun exposure due to indoor jobs, use of sun block, skin color, and more. Some common signs of vitamin D deficiency include stiffness, muscle cramps, bone pain, balance and gait issues (i.e. clumsiness), low back pain, poor wound healing, depression, migraines and allergies. Since most of these problems take many years to manifest, vitamin D deficiency has been overlooked for a very long time.  Thanks to 257 epidemiological studies, 2500 laboratory studies and some significant clinical trials most experts on the topic of vitamin D feel it not only helps us maintain healthy bones, but that it can significantly reduce the incidence of a wide range of cancers (breast, ovarian, colon, lymphoma, kidney, endometrial), type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, depression, high blood pressure, and heart attacks.


We now know that the so-called vitamin D is really a steroid hormone and that it can affect the expression of our DNA which is how it is believed to alter the risks of cancer and other diseases. Your body can’t create vitamin D on its own. Instead, it’s designed to make it through sun exposure. Most people want to know the diet for vitamin D but frankly there isn’t much that provides it in sufficient quantities. Mushrooms, egg yolks, cod liver oil, and wild salmon can provide in small quantities which means that other than sunlight exposure, supplementation is the only practical way to get 1000- 2000 IU (International units) per day that our bodies need.


I recommend 10-15 minutes of sunlight exposure 2 to 3 times a week but a few pointers to keep in mind.  SPF 15 sunscreen blocks production of vitamin D by 99%; a UV index greater than 4 is necessary to make vitamin D; darker skin requires up to 7x more sunlight exposure to make the same amount as lighter skin; if your shadow is taller than you are then you cannot make vitamin D; you can get vitamin D from reflected light while sitting in the shade but not through a glass window. Most people try to get sunlight exposure during early morning hours but several studies have shown that for India the optimal time to create vitamin D in the body is between 11 am to 1 pm.


So how will you know you may have a deficiency? If you have consistent muscle pain, weak bones and fractures, low energy and fatigue, lowered immunity, depression, mood swings, and sleep irregularities you may want to speak with your physician and get your vitamin D levels tested.


So remember- Sunlight is more powerful than any drug; it is safe, effective, and available free of charge. If it could be patented, it would be hyped as the greatest medical breakthrough in history! Happy sunbathing to you.