Indians do get sufficient exposure to the sun all year long, even in winters. But as 24x7 lifestyles become more common, the ailment is increasing. “BPO workers are at very high risk of vitamin D deficiency due to their office timings,” says Dr Erry. However, problems related to this deficiency are long term. “Persistent lack of exposure to the sun, over a period of a few years, leads to vitamin D deficiency-related problems,” says Dr Aggarwal.

How much vitamin D does your body actually need? According to the US Dietary Reference Intake, adequate intake of vitamin D is 5 micrograms per day for infants, children and men and women aged 19-50. The adequate intake increases to 10 micrograms for those aged 51-70 and to 15 micrograms for the people who are over 70 years old. “About 10-15 minutes in the sun is enough to fuel your body with this vitamin,” says Dr S.K. Aggarwal, internal medicine, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals. Basking in the sun for hours, however, does not produce more vitamin D. Once sufficient vitamin has been produced, the rest is converted into inactive substances. You can wear sunscreen and still get your dose of the vitamin.
And what if, like Awasthi, your work hours make you shun the sun? Pop a pill. “Most calcium supplements available in the market are in combination with vitamin D. These supplements are enough to meet the daily requirement of vitamin D for people who don’t go out in the sun,” says Dr Aggarwal.