Vitamin lack hits African arrivals

Vitamin lack hits African arrivals

• Dewi Cooke
• January 12, 2009

INCREASED African immigration to Australia has brought a rise in cases of vitamin D deficiency, which researchers link to serious health problems including tuberculosis, diabetes and obesity.

Migrants from eastern and sub-Saharan African countries such as Sudan were particularly susceptible to vitamin D deficiency because of their darker skin and lowered exposure to direct sunlight in Australia, researchers say.

Having dark skin meant many African migrants needed five to six times more exposure to sunlight a day than someone with fairer skin, but they often received less in Victoria because of environmental, social and housing factors.

“Moving from Africa where they have a lot of ultra-violet light to Melbourne, which doesn’t have much in winter, means they just can’t generate enough vitamin D,” said Melbourne University head of endocrinology Peter Ebeling….read more here…

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