Vitamin D
Nutrition & DietVitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and keeps bones, muscles, nerves, and the immune system working. Despite year-round sunshine, 70–80% of urban Indians are vitamin D deficient — it is probably our most common vitamin shortfall.
Also known as: Cholecalciferol, Ergocalciferol
Last updated
Videos about Vitamin D (20)
5:17ଭିଟାମିନ୍ ଡି’ର ଅଭାବ: କେମିତି କରିବେ ଦୂର? | Vitamin D Deficiency in Odia | Yasmin Habib
Yasmin Habib
15K views
5:00विटामिन डी: क्यों हैं जरुरी? | Why is Vitamin D Important for Your Health? | Dr Shiv Kumar Lath
Dr Shiv Kumar Lath
823 views
8:27Vitamin D Deficiency: What to do? | Causes, Symptoms & Treatment | Dr Amritpal Singh
Dr Amritpal Singh
376 views
10:09Vitamin D Deficiency: How to Treat it? | Dr Devika Chindhade Godbole
Dr Devika Chindhade Godbole
139 views
13:13ଭିଟାମିନ୍ ‘ଡି’ କାହିଁକି ଜରୁରୀ? | Why is Vitamin D Important for Your Health? | Dr Niroj Kumar Mishra
Dr Niroj Kumar Mishra
136K views
6:38ভিটামিন ডি: কিয় প্ৰয়োজনীয়? | Vitamin D Deficiency in Assamese | Causes & Symptoms| Dr Dishani Das
Dr Dishani Das
8.8K views
4:39வைட்டமின் டி குறைபாடு: அதை எப்படி நடத்துவது ? | Diet for Vitamin D, in Tamil | Vijayashree N
997 views
8:46વિટામિન ડીની ઉણપનું કારણ શું છે? | Vitamin D Deficiency, in Gujarati | Dr Parth Shailesh Shah
Dr Parth Shailesh Shah
564 views
9:33ভিটামিন ডি-এর প্রয়োজনীয়তা | Vitamin D Requirements in Bangla | Dr Dibyakanti Saha
Dr Dibyakanti Saha
526 views
6:10విటమిన్ డి అంటే ఏమిటి మరియు దాని పనితీరు ? | Vitamin D Deficiency in Telugu | Dr Nimmana Chandini
Dr Nimmana Chandini
512 views
7:21విటమిన్-డి లోపాన్ని ఎలా అధిగమించాలి? l Vitamin D Deficiency in Telugu | Dr Kunapareddy Thrinadh
Dr Kunapareddy Thrinadh
57 views
3:23भिटामिन-डीको कमीका लक्षण र समाधान | Vitamin D Deficiency: What to do? in Nepali | Dr Chetan Neupane
Dr Chetan Neupane
56 views
Showing 12 of 20 videos
About Vitamin D
About this summary: Written by Swasthya Plus for Indian readers, using MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine as a reference source. For personal guidance, please consult a qualified Health Expert.
Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and keeps bones, muscles, nerves, and the immune system working. Despite year-round sunshine, 70–80% of urban Indians are vitamin D deficient — it is probably our most common vitamin shortfall.
Why Indians are short on it
- Indoor work, long hours at screens, little outdoor time.
- Darker skin needs 3–5× longer sun exposure than lighter skin to make the same vitamin D.
- Traditional clothing and religious practice that cover most skin.
- Urban air pollution cuts UV-B reaching the skin.
- Diets low in fish, eggs, and fortified dairy — especially in pure vegetarians.
- Older adults make less vitamin D from sun even with exposure.
How to get enough
- Sunlight: 15–30 minutes on arms and face between 10 am and 3 pm, most days, without sunscreen on that area. Early morning and late evening sun has little UV-B.
- Food: oily fish (rawas/salmon/sardines), egg yolks, mushrooms, fortified milk and curd.
- Supplement if confirmed deficient on a blood test. Don't start high-dose vitamin D on your own — it is fat-soluble and toxic in excess.
Daily requirement
- Infants 0–12 months: 400 IU.
- Children, teens, adults up to 70: 600 IU.
- Adults over 70: 800 IU.
- Pregnant/breastfeeding: 600 IU (often more, doctor-guided).
When to get tested
- Bone pain, muscle weakness, unexplained fatigue.
- Osteoporosis or a fracture without much trauma.
- Chronic kidney or liver disease, malabsorption (coeliac, Crohn's, after weight-loss surgery).
- In pregnancy, or in infants who are exclusively breastfed.
Reference source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine