Multiple studies have found that India is experiencing a significant shortfall of the so-called “sunshine vitamin”.
Published Apr 13, 2025 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Apr 13, 2025 | 7:00 AM
Vitamin D plays a crucial role in maintaining overall health.
Synopsis: India is facing a widespread vitamin D deficiency, despite having sunshine throughout the year. Studies show particularly high rates in states like Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Experts say changing lifestyles, pollution, and poor diets are to blame – and warn the problem could add to the country’s growing health burden.
In a country that enjoys abundant sunshine for much of the year, a widespread vitamin D deficiency might seem improbable.
Yet, multiple studies have found that India is experiencing a significant shortfall of the so-called “sunshine vitamin”.
According to Apollo Hospital’s Health of the Nation 2025 report, 74 percent of 2,108 people tested in Andhra Pradesh were found to be deficient. In Telangana, the figure rose to 82 percent among over 17,000 individuals screened.
Nationally, the picture is no less concerning.
A report by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) and the Anvka Foundation found that one in five Indians lacks sufficient levels of vitamin D. In eastern India, the rate is even higher – nearly 39 percent – despite no shortage of sunlight.
Vitamin D plays a crucial role in maintaining overall health. It helps the body absorb calcium and phosphorus – minerals that are essential for strong bones and teeth.
Without enough of it, bones can become thin, brittle, or misshapen, increasing the risk of conditions such as rickets in children and osteoporosis in adults.
But the benefits go beyond bone health. Vitamin D also supports the immune system, helping the body to fight off infections. Low levels have been linked to an increased risk of respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular disease, and even depression.
Experts say the problem goes beyond climate or geography. The ICRIER report highlights how urban lifestyles are increasingly to blame.
Rapid urbanisation has changed how Indians live and work. Many people now spend the bulk of their time indoors – whether in offices, vehicles, or air-conditioned homes. As a result, regular exposure to natural sunlight has become rare, and often something people actively avoid.
High-rise buildings and densely packed cities further restrict access to direct sunlight. Cultural practices – such as wearing full-body clothing, using sunscreen, and a preference for fair skin – also reduce sun exposure.
A recent social media exchange captured this new reality.
“When you have vitamin D deficiency and you choose to get tanned instead of popping pills,” joked one user.
A doctor was quick to respond: “Refusing vitamin D pills while sunbathing is like trying to recharge a mobile with moonlight. It is aesthetically quite pleasing but scientifically pointless.”
Air pollution adds another layer of complexity, blocking ultraviolet B (UVB) rays that are crucial for the body to produce vitamin D.
Compounding the issue is melanin, the pigment that gives skin its darker tone and naturally limits vitamin D production.
“Studies suggest that individuals with darker skin may require three to six times longer exposure to produce the same amount of vitamin D as those with lighter skin tones,” the report states.
Vitamin D can also be sourced from food – particularly fatty fish, eggs, fortified milk, and some mushrooms.
But for many Indians, these are either too costly or not a regular part of the diet.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) notes that just 8–14 percent of Indians consume the recommended amount of dairy.
Vegetarians and those with lactose intolerance, both common in India, face even greater dietary limitations. In such cases, experts say, supplementation or food fortification becomes essential.
“It is difficult to identify the deficiency in the early stages and the cost of testing and treatment is high,” the report notes.
“Health issues after the coronavirus pandemic along with the growing incidence of non-communicable diseases in the country such as obesity, metabolic disorders, chronic kidney disease and malabsorption syndrome impair the body’s ability to synthesise and utilise vitamin D effectively.”
A former Director of the Hyderabad-based Indian Council of Medical Research – National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN) noted in the report: “Vitamin D deficiency has been one of the enigmatic micronutrient deficiencies considered earlier as essentially nonexistent except in countries closer to the North Pole due to inadequate sunlight. But its extensive prevalence in India and several other sunlight adequate locations raises several questions starting right from the validity of biomarkers, environmental pollution and modern lifestyles.”
He added that since dietary sources are minimal, supplementation and fortification become a way forward.
Clarity even on these interventions is lacking with a multitude of recommendations from recommended dietary allowance (RDA) levels to mega doses.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
