Veiled women are at risk for vitamin D deficiency because of lack of sun exposure, putting them at risk for a slew of health disorders, according to a report published Tuesday, though covered women do not seem ready to give up their hijabs just for possible health benefits.After years of health campaigns against tanning and excessive sun exposure which cause skin cancer, doctors are now warning of vitamin D deficiency and urging more sun exposure especially for those whose dress codes prevent them from showing too much skin.
A 2007 study found 30 to 50 percent of adults and children from sunny climates including Saudi Arabia, UAE, India and Lebanon were vitamin D deficient.
Veiled women say their hijab does not hinder them from enjoying a bit of sunshine
Tuesday's report confirmed similar findings from another 2007 study of 87 Arab-American women in Dearborn Michigan that found the more conservative a woman dressed, the lower her vitamin D intake and consequently the higher her risk of disease.
Hijabi women who followed a vitamin D-rich diet had higher levels of vitamin D yet still not as high as the women who did not wear the hijab. It found that veiled women had only one fifth of the necessary level of vitamin D while the unveiled women who supplemented their diets had 28 percent.