While excessive exposure to sunlight raises the risk of skin cancer, nearly 80 percent of office workers in the nation suffer vitamin D deficiency due to insufficient exposure to the sun and frequent use of sunscreen, a survey showed yesterday.
The poll, conducted by the Lianan Wellness Center among 3,366 office employees from January to March, found that about 84 percent of the respondents had a 25-hydroxy vitamin D blood level of below 30 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml).
Among them, as much as 39 percent even suffered a severe lack of vitamin D with a level less than 20 ng/ml, the survey showed.
“A further analysis of the survey indicated that vitamin D inadequacy was more prevalent among female respondents than among male respondents, with the former facing a three times higher risk of experiencing a lack of the vitamin,” Lianan Wellness Center cardiologist Tsai Chung-wen (蔡忠文) told a news conference in Taipei.
Tsai said the situation was even more serious in younger respondents, with nearly 90 percent of those aged 39 or below having low readings.
The results disprove the traditional idea that elderly people are more susceptible to vitamin D deficiency, Tsai said.
It could be due to widespread belief among the younger generation that “a white complexion is powerful enough to hide seven faults,” Tsai said, a notion that could be leading to young people using sunscreen as often as possible, limiting their vitamin D absorption.
Tsai said vitamin D is not only essential for strong bones and muscles, but recent studies also suggest that a lack of the vitamin could lead to a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome and even cancers.
The survey showed that respondents with low levels of vitamin D were 1.3 times more susceptible to abnormal levels of low-density lipoprotein — so-called “bad” cholesterol; 1.5 times more prone to developing metabolic syndrome and had a higher body-mass index; and 1.7 times more likely to have abnormal blood pressure.
“People are advised to maintain their vitamin D at levels above 30ng/ml,” Tsai said.
“The best way to absorb the vitamin is from exposure to the sun,” Tsai added.
“It is unwise to put one’s health at risk for the sake of appearance,” Tsai said.
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
Taiwan lacks effective and cost-efficient armaments to intercept rockets, making the planned “T-Dome” interception system necessary, two experts said on Tuesday. The concerns were raised after China’s military fired two waves of rockets during live-fire drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, part of two-day exercises code-named “Justice Mission 2025.” The first wave involved 17 rockets launched at 9am from Pingtan in China’s Fujian Province, according to Lieutenant General Hsieh Jih-sheng (謝日升) of the Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence at the Ministry of National Defense. Those rockets landed 70 nautical miles (129.6km) northeast of Keelung without flying over Taiwan,
City buses in Taipei and New Taipei City, as well as the Taipei MRT, would on Saturday begin accepting QR code payments from five electronic payment providers, the Taipei Department of Transportation said yesterday. The new option would allow passengers to use the “transportation QR code” feature from EasyWallet, iPass Money, iCash Pay, Jkopay or PXPay Plus. Passengers should open their preferred electronic payment app, select the “transportation code” — not the regular payment code — unlock it, and scan the code at ticket readers or gates, General Planning Division Director-General Liu Kuo-chu (劉國著) said. People should move through the
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) today released images of the military tracking China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) movements during the latest round of Chinese drills around Taiwan. The PLA began "Justice Mission 2025" drills today, carrying out live-fire drills, simulated strikes on land and maritime targets, and exercises to blockade the nation's main ports. The exercises are to continue tomorrow, with the PLA announcing sea and air space restrictions for five zones around Taiwan for 10 hours starting from 8:30am. The ministry today released images showing a Chinese J-16 fighter jet tracked by a F-16V Block 20 jet and the
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