Updated

Updated · ScienceAlert · Jul 18

Newcastle Study Finds 72% With Darker Skin Stayed Vitamin D Low Despite Summer Sun

Updated

Updated · ScienceAlert · Jul 18

Newcastle Study Finds 72% With Darker Skin Stayed Vitamin D Low Despite Summer Sun

1 articles · Updated · ScienceAlert · Jul 18

299 UK participants tested from December 2024 to August 2025 saw vitamin D levels barely improve into summer, despite the season when recovery would normally be expected.
72% of adults with darker skin and nearly 55% of adults 65 and older remained below the recommended threshold, pointing to the groups most affected.
Age, melanin and northern England's weaker UVB exposure likely limited vitamin D production, the researchers said, even as sunlight increased.
The study excluded supplement users and enrolled only people already low in vitamin D, so it does not estimate population-wide deficiency rates.
UK guidance already advises 400 IU daily from October to March, and the authors said higher-risk groups may need year-round supplementation.

Sources

Why do people in some of the world's sunniest regions still suffer from severe vitamin D deficiency?

If summer sun is no longer enough, what does this reveal about the health costs of our modern indoor lives?

With deficiency so widespread, why aren't more staple foods being fortified with vitamin D to solve the problem?

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