Low vitamin D in women is a global problem, including importantly in pregnant women, which is exacerbated by lifestyle changes and choices, avoidance of sensible sun exposure, and daily use of skin products including on hands and legs, many of which contain UVB blockers.
Modes of dress may exacerbate that problem. Below a thought provoking UK study. It is somewhat perplexing that solutions are simple and cheap yet still only marginally on public health agendas. . . anybody feel like screaming (quietly to themselves)
"Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in adolescent Muslim girls attending a school in the UK, which adheres to a conservative dress code"
http://www.bone-abstracts.org/ba/0002/ba0002p39.htm
Conclusions: All subjects (98%) bar one had vitamin D deficiency (91%) and vitamin D insufficiency (7%).
“Of 56 participants from 180 girls at a UK Muslim High School 51 were vitamin D deficient (91%) and 4 vitamin D insufficient (7%)” (total 98%). Median Vit.D level 12.8 nmol/l. Median Vit. D intake was 69 IU/day.
Bone Abstracts (2013) 2 P39 DOI:10.1530/boneabs.2.P39 (sufficient 50-75 nmol/l; insufficient 25-50nmol/l; deficient less that 25 nmol/l)
A study on pregnant women in the UK
Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency in pregnant women: A longitudinal study. Br. J. Nutr. 2009, 102, 876–881
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19331703
“Of the UK pregnant women, 35, 44 and 16 % were classified as vitamin D deficient (25(OH)D < 25 nmol/l), and 96, 96 and 75 % were classified as vitamin D insufficient (25(OH)D < 50 nmol/l) at 12, 20 and 35 weeks”
Threaded Mode