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.
