Who gets vitamin D deficiency?
It is easiest to understand this if you know where vitamin D comes from. Vitamin D is made in the skin with the help of sunlight – this is the main source of vitamin D. It needs bare skin and direct sunlight (not through a window). People with darker skins will need more sun to get the same amount of vitamin D. Vitamin D is also found in certain foods: liver, some types of fish, and egg yolk. Some cereals or margarines contain added vitamin D.
Growing children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding women need extra vitamin D because it is required for growth. So, vitamin D deficiency is more likely to develop in the following groups of people:
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* People who get very little sunlight on their skin such as those who are stay indoors a lot, or cover up when outside, for example, if wearing a veil.
* People with conditions that affect the way the body handles vitamin D such as those with coeliac disease, Crohn’s disease, and some types of liver and kidney disease.
* People taking certain medicines: carbamezepine, phenytoin, primidone or barbiturates.
* People with dark skins or of South Asian origin, elderly people, and those with a family history of vitamin D deficiency.
http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Vita...Deficiency.htm