COULD SUNLIGHT BE A PANACEA?

Get out on a sunny winter's day to boost levels of crucial vitamin D

Tuesday November 3,2009

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VITAMIN D is thought to protect bones and prevent cancer but the shorter, darker days reduce our natural exposure to it. TIM BRADY investigates

The discovery of "miracle" drugs usually takes place deep inside a laboratory. Yet could the latest cure for all ills be something we encounter every day? Mounting evidence suggests vitamin D - produced by the body when exposed to sunlight - could hold the secret.

Several research studies point to the protective effects of vitamin D against everything from heart disease and cancer to multiple sclerosis and diabetes. Two studies published last week claim low levels of vitamin D are linked to kidney disease and stroke. Yet there are rising concerns that many people in Britain may be severely deficient in vitamin D.

Some experts believe thousands of us may need daily vitamin D supplements to bolster our levels and protect against future illness.

When sunlight makes contact with the body, it triggers a chemical reaction under the skin that leads to the production of the vitamin. It gets into the blood and circulates round the body, where it gets stored for use at a later date.

Boost your vitamin D levels with foods like beef and oily fish

Medical guidance states the body needs 200 international units (IUs) of vitamin D a day. For someone with pale skin, five to 10 minutes in the sun during the heat of a summer's day and without any lotion on can produce up to 10,000 IUs.

The body uses what it needs and stores the rest for winter. However, some American experts claim we need at least five times the recommended amount (1,000 IUs a day) to reap the full health benefits of increased vitamin D levels.

As far back as the Twenties doctors realised children growing up in polluted, crowded inner cities developed rickets - a softening of the bones - because they had little exposure to sunlight.

Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium in our diet.

No amount of such calcium-rich foods as cheese, milk or vegetables will give you healthy bones if you don't have the right amount of vitamin D to help the skeleton mop it up.

In 2004 British researchers suggested low vitamin D levels may be to blame for the rise in UK breast cancer cases in recent decades, after they found that higher levels in the blood reduced the risk of a tumour.

Another study found it could help treat prostate cancer by halving levels of prostate specific antigen, a chemical "marker" in the blood of men with a tumour.

Other findings suggest it can cut the risk of multiple sclerosis by 40 per cent, keep the brain healthy in old age and protect against heart disease. Yet why are experts so concerned and how do you know if you need to top up your sunshine vitamin level?

Ironically, it may have been caused by the success of Cancer Research UK's initiative to slash the risk of skin cancer. It called for greater use of sunscreens with an SPF of 15 or higher and recommended staying indoors between 11am and 3pm. Yet this may have unforeseen consequences.

"Until the campaign, people were spending some time outside without sunscreen on, " says Catherine Collins, chief dietitian at St George's Hospital in London.

"Using any sunscreen above factor eight blocks around 95 per cent of the body's vitamin D production.

"As a result, many are probably now vitamin deficient and should be taking supplements."

Catherine says those getting at least five to 10 minutes daily sun during the hottest part of the day and without sunscreen probably have enough vitamin D to see them through the winter. Anyone who gets less may need a daily supplement as vitamin D rich foods - such as oily fish, beef and cereals - cannot provide all of the body's needs.

"I recommend Boots Vitamin D capsules, " she says. "One a day is fine. If you are in a high-risk group - those with osteoporosis, anyone who keeps their skin mostly covered or teenagers who don't go out in sunlight much - should take two."

Although there is little risk of overdosing on vitamin D capsules, the Food Standards Agency recommends taking no more than 25microgrammes (mcg) a day.

Each Boots High Strength Vitamin D capsule (£2.99 for 90) contains 12.5mcg (500 IUs). While the daily guide is 200 IUs, some believe this should be 1,000 IUs so two per day is the maximum.

OTHER VITAMINS OUR BODY NEEDS

VITAMIN A IS GOOD FOR: Healthy skin, strong immune system, good vision.
Sources: Cheese, eggs, oily fish, milk, fortified margarine, yogurt and liver.

VITAMIN B6 IS GOOD FOR: Healthy blood and helping the body store energy.
Sources: Pork, chicken, cod, bread, oatmeal, rice, eggs, vegetables, peanuts, milk and potatoes.

VITAMIN B12 IS GOOD FOR: Making red blood cells and a healthy nervous system.
Sources: Meat, salmon, cod, milk, cheese, eggs and some fortified breakfast cereals.

VITAMIN C IS GOOD FOR: Helping the body absorb iron.
Sources: Fruit and vegetables including oranges, kiwi fruit, peppers, broccoli, sprouts and sweet potatoes.

VITAMIN E IS GOOD FOR: Protecting the body's cells against a harmful process called oxidation.
Sources: Olive oil, soya oil, corn oil, nuts, seeds, whole grains and wheat germ, asparagus and avocado.

VITAMIN K IS GOOD FOR: Strong bones and healing wounds.
Sources: Broccoli, spinach, vegetable oils, pork and cheese.

VITAMIN D EXPERIMENT

04.11.09, 1:35am

I get my Vit D for a quarter of what you quote on the Boots ones, or 2.75p per 2000 IU.
Why doesn't the Government do an experiment: take a small town of say 20 000 people. Divide it into 2, say using the High street as the middle.
Hand out free Vit D3 say 2000 IU to people on the one side of the town for one year. (Promise the other side's people free Vit D the following year). Record the health of all 20 000 beforehand. Do likewise afterwards and compare the health of beforehand and afterwards for both sides to see which was healthier and if it made any noticeable difference.
Cost of Vit D should be less than £200 000 (retail).

• Posted by: The_Boss • Report Comment