Why so many Indians are Vitamin D deficient — and what to do about it

What does vitamin D actually do?

Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium and keep your bones and muscles strong. It also supports your immune system and mood. Your skin makes most of it when sunlight (specifically UVB rays) reaches it — which is why it's often called the "sunshine vitamin."

So why are we deficient despite the sun?

Sunlight only helps if it actually reaches your skin in the right amount. Several everyday factors get in the way:

• Indoor lifestyles. Office and home routines mean many of us get very little midday sun.
• Sunscreen and clothing. Both block the UVB rays needed to make vitamin D — sensible for skin protection, but they reduce vitamin D production.
• Skin tone. More melanin offers natural sun protection, which also means the skin makes vitamin D more slowly.
• Air pollution. In many Indian cities, pollution filters out UVB before it reaches the ground.
• Diet. Very few foods naturally contain much vitamin D, so diet alone rarely fills the gap.

Symptoms to watch for

Deficiency is often "silent" — the symptoms are vague and easy to blame on a busy life:

• Bone and lower-back pain, or a deep, dull ache in the legs
• Muscle weakness or cramps — difficulty climbing stairs or getting up from a chair
• Persistent tiredness that rest doesn't fix
• Frequent infections and low mood

How it's corrected

Correcting an established deficiency needs more than a daily multivitamin. Doctors typically use a higher-strength "loading" regimen of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) — for example, a 60,000 IU dose taken weekly for a set number of weeks — followed by a lower maintenance dose. A repeat blood test then confirms your levels have recovered.

Convenient formats help you stick to the plan: a pre-measured, sugar-free oral shot such as VIVASVAN-D is easy to take and precisely dosed, with no large tablet to swallow.

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Related therapy area: Vitamin D deficiency · Related product: VIVASVAN-D