Risk Factors for Vitamin D Deficiency

I’ve listed some of the specific risk factors for vitamin D below. Which ones apply to you and your family members?

• Not enough exposure to sunshine when vitamin D producing UV-B rays are abundant.
• Dark pigmented skin without enough sun exposure.
• Daily use of sunscreens or sunblock – (SPF 15 blocks 95% of UV-B rays)
• Living in northern latitudes (above San Francisco on the west coast; Richmond, Virginia on the east coast). Remember - the farther away from the equator, the fewer UV-B rays.
• Living in foggy and/or smoggy areas (Fog and smog reduce UV-B rays.)
• Indoor jobs or nightshift work that require sleeping during the day.
• Aging – skin thins as we age and produces less vitamin D.
• A strict vegetarian diet, if no additional supplementation is added.
• Diets high in processed foods.
• Low-fat diets - vitamin D is fat-soluble.
• Digestion problems, especially fat malabsorption syndrome.
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
• Cushing’s syndrome.
• Surgical removal of segments of the small intestine.
• Hypothyroidism
• Kidney and liver disease.
• Alcoholism.
• Excessive caffeine or salt.
• Cigarette smoking.
• Chronic use of antacids.
• Medications – many medications interfere with vitamin D absorption and synthesis.
• Living and working where tall buildings or trees block the sun.
• Living in nursing homes, prisons, or other confined situations.