People with pale skin may be lacking in vitamin D, which is important for healthy bones and teeth. Most people get enough vitamin D with short exposures to the sun (10 to 15 minutes a day). A small amount also comes from the diet, in foods like oily fish and dairy products. But people with pale skin do not seem to be able to get enough. Part of the reason might be that people who burn easily are more likely to cover up and avoid the sun. But some pale-skinned individuals are less able to make and process vitamin D in the body, regardless of how long they sit in the sun. Based on these findings, pale-skinned people should be added to the list of those for whom vitamin D supplements are recommended by the government. Certain groups are already identified as at higher risk of deficiency and needing supplements. This includes people with very dark skin, such as people of African-Caribbean and South Asian origin, and people who wear full-body coverings, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women, the elderly and people who avoid the sun.