I’ am a nutritionist, and I want to start with something that might surprise you. I was vitamin D deficient while living right here in Pakistan, with sun almost 300 days a year. And by the end of this, you’ll understand why sunlight existing isn’t the same as your body actually getting it.
Sun Isn’t the Same as Sun Exposure
Vitamin D deficiency is extremely common here, despite how much sun we get. That’s the part that confuses people. It isn’t about whether sunlight exists outside your window. It’s about actual sun exposure on your skin. Most of us are indoors most of the day, whether it’s work, school, or home, and when we are outside, we’re often fully covered. So the sun is there, but our bodies never really meet it.
What This Deficiency Actually Feels Like
Here’s what that deficiency actually feels like, and it’s easy to miss because it overlaps with so many other things.
- Constant fatigue and low mood
- Bone or joint pain, and muscle weakness
- Getting sick often, since vitamin D plays a real role in immunity
- Hair fall
If a few of this sound familiar, it’s worth paying attention to.
The Part Most People Get Wrong
Here’s where most people get it wrong when they try to fix this on their own.
Vitamin D isn’t something you can easily get through diet. Sun exposure at the right time of day is essential, and food alone will not fix this one, no matter how well you eat.
Why It’s So Common Here Specifically
So why is this so common in a country with so much sun? A few reasons. Our lifestyles have become mostly indoor, cycling through work, school, and home without much time spent outdoors. Sunscreen use also blocks the skin’s ability to synthesize vitamin D, and to be clear, this isn’t an argument against sunscreen, just context for what’s happening. On top of that, our diets are naturally low in vitamin D rich foods to begin with.
What You Can Actually Do
- Ask for a vitamin D, or 25-hydroxy, blood test. Don’t guess where you stand
- Get sun exposure on your arms or face, even just 10 to 15 minutes, a few times a week
- Include food sources like egg yolks, fatty fish, and fortified milk. They help, but they won’t cover it on their own
- Let supplementation come from an actual blood result, not an assumption
Don’t Assume You’re Fine
I had access to the same sun you do, and it still wasn’t enough for me. So before you assume you’re fine because you live somewhere sunny, get your levels checked. It’s a simple blood test, and it might explain a lot more than you think
