does low bodyfat affect vitamin D synthesis?

[Guest guest]

I'm wondering if parts of the body without much bodyfat (like feet, or

many parts of very skinny people) can make as much vitamin D as other

parts. Can all areas of skin make vitamin D equally?

-Mike

[Guest guest]

Interesting question. I remember reading in Beyond Pritikin (by Ann-

Louise Gittleman) many years ago that the ideal sun exposure is a bare

back beneath the noon-day sun during the summer months (in the case of

the northern hemisphere), and that to the extent your circumstances

vary from that (too far from equator, back covered, wintertime), the

ability to make D drops quite a bit. But she didn't address whether

soles of the feet or palms of the hand could make Vitamin D, for

instance. Can you make D in places you don't tan? It does require

cholesterol in the skin—maybe that is not distributed equally among

all types of skin? Wonder whether any scientists have looked into this.

Jeanmarie

On Aug 9, 2009, at 10:37 PM, Mike wrote:

> I'm wondering if parts of the body without much bodyfat (like feet, or

> many parts of very skinny people) can make as much vitamin D as other

> parts. Can all areas of skin make vitamin D equally?

>

> -Mike

>

> ,___