bangalore shunning the sun for that sweet morning sleep sitting in an airconditioned office for long hours and applying sunscreen whenever you step out are some of the reasons that lead to vitamin d deficiency even among youths the condition can end in lack of calcium and rise in cases of osteoporosis or porous bones according to a united nations study in 2008 26 million indians suffered from osteoporosis in 2003 the number is expected to reach 36 million by 2013 one in every 3 women and one in 5 men above the age of 50 are believed to be affected by osteoporosis but the mean age of getting it is coming down experts saidtraditionally osteoporosis is seen more in women after menopause and in men whove crossed 60 but we are getting more and more young patients now said dr sharan patil senior orthopaedic surgeon and chairman sparsh hospital i am treating a 28yearold software designer who was diagnosed with osteoporosis two months ago his vitamind level was shockingly low at just 3 mm minimum requirement is 2530 mm for an adult said dr patil indians at high risk indians have a higher risk of developing osteoporosis because of their lower bmd bone mineral density rates due to poor calcium intake limited availability of fortified foods excess salt intake etc vitamin d helps bones absorb calcium sunlight is the main source which helps the body produce vitamin d one must ensure at least 30 minutes of exposure in the sun every day its better to use sunscreen only on the face and expose other parts to the sun said dr aruna prasad consultant dermatologist columbia asia hospital hebbal dr umashankar n consultant dermatologist apollo hospitals said one must go out in the sun between 7am and 10am without sunscreen so that body gets sunlight and build vitamin d sunscreen can be used between 10am and 3pm world osteoporosis day drink milk eat right drinking about 250 ml milk daily will help build vitamin d opt for calcium and proteinrich diet with milk products green leafy vegetables fish and eggs keep tabs on vit d levels test your vitamin d levels if you have regular body ache or joint pain even if you are not involved in rigorous physical activity it is advisable to get tested