Why We Are Not Getting Vitamin D Naturally – Asian Brown Cloud!

Asian Brown Cloud is one of the reason!

The amount of Ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation reaching earth’s surface is a function of:

1. Solar zenith angle
2. Time of day
3. Season of the year
4. Amount of ozone
5. Cloud, aerosols, and latitude and altitude – all influence the cutaneous production of vitamin D3

Causing of Vitamin D Deficiency

1. The Asian Brown Cloud is the result of biomass burning (rural) and fossil fuel consumption (urban). The fossil fuel consumption and biomass burning contribute to particulate (aerosol) pollution, while biomass burning plays a major role in gaseous pollution (as carbon monoxide). The most direct effect of Asian Brown Cloud documented in INDOEX is the 10% reduction of average radiative heat of the ocean and 50–100% increase in solar heating of lower atmosphere. “Asian Brown Cloud” occurs every year and extends over a period from November to April and possibly longer.
2. Air pollution: Polluted air soaks up UVB or reflects it back into space. This means that if you live somewhere where there is lots of pollution, your skin makes less vitamin D
3. Indoor activities: It seems working from dawn to dusk in air-conditioned offices and time spent indoors have starved the supply of vitamin D in the body
4. Shunning the sun: “People are reluctant to go out in the sun. Those who stay indoors a lot or cover their body when outside are most likely to suffer from the deficiency. Glass windows don’t help either, so you don’t generate vitamin D when sitting in your car or while at home.
5. Indian skin tone: Melanin reduces the skin’s ability to make vitamin D. “People with dark skin pigmentation may need 20-30 times more exposure to sunlight as compared to fair-skinned people to generate the same amount of vitamin D
6. Use of sunscreen: Sunscreen lotions fight the sun and prevent vitamin D synthesis. Sunscreen use can potentially lead to vitamin D deficiency, particularly if high sun protection factor (SPF) creams (factor 15 or above) are used. However, don’t abandon sunscreen altogether, because humans, especially children, still need protection from the harmful effect of the sun’s rays, especially at midday
7. Vegetarian diet: Your body may lack the sunshine vitamin if you eat a largely vegetarian diet. Vitamin D is found primarily in animal products such as dairy foods, liver, eggs, fish and fish oils. However, “Diet alone cannot provide an adequate amount of vitamin D. Sunlight exposure is the only reliable way to generate it.”
8. Obesity: Being overweight also adds to the problem. “Vitamin D is extracted from the blood by fat cells, altering its release in the body. People with a body mass index of 30 or greater often have low blood levels of vitamin D.