LIVING in a country that offers an abundance of sunlight, you would think that a shortage of vitamin D is one health concern you need not worry about because vitamin D is produced when your skin is exposed to sunlight.

Sadly, research suggests that growing numbers of people are not getting enough of this vitamin.

Australia is the country with the highest skin cancer incidence rate in the world, and people there are understandably (on the surface) heeding warnings by covering up and staying out of the “harsh” sun. As we explored in the previous two articles, the incidence rates of skin cancer are highest where the most “sun screens” are sold and the people are influenced to fear the sun. These factors ultimately make the matter, claimed to be prevented, worse, in actuality.

Our lifestyles have also changed with many of us spending the majority of our workdays indoors, only arriving home after sunset.

Furthermore, people with darker skin are much less efficient in producing vitamin D from sunlight (due to the increased melanin pigment which acts as a natural sunscreen). The elderly also tend to have a decreased ability to make vitamin D due to changes in their ageing skin and their kidneys being less able to convert vitamin D into its active form.

Interestingly, the growing obesity problem has also been linked to an increase in vitamin D deficiency. In obese people, the body fat binds to some of the vitamin D preventing it from getting into the blood and being absorbed by the body.

Some digestive disorders such, as Crohn’s disease and coeliac disease, can also affect the intestine’s ability to absorb vitamin D from food.

WHY WE NEED VITAMIN D

Vitamin D is essential for strong bones as it helps with the absorption of calcium and promotes bone growth and repair. Too little vitamin D can result in soft bones in children (rickets) and an increased risk of fractures and brittle bones in older people.

However, vitamin D is also associated with a multitude of other health benefits such as promoting cardiovascular health. According to a number of studies, a deficit in this vitamin can increase the risk of heart attacks, heart disease, hypertension, and stroke.

Low vitamin D levels have also been found to be a contributing factor in some types of cancer, such as colon, breast and prostate cancer, as well as the development of diabetes and multiple sclerosis (a chronic disease of the nervous system).

Research has also confirmed the importance of vitamin D for healthy brain function. A sufficient intake of vitamin D helps to keep the mind sharp, slows mental decline, and helps prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. It can also help to treat mild depression.

Finally, vitamin D plays an important role in boosting the body’s immune system and reducing inflammation – studies have found low vitamin D levels to increase the risk for respiratory infections such as colds and the flu.

DIETARY SOURCES

There are several types of vitamin D, of which vitamins D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol) are the most important. Vitamins D2 and D3 can be ingested from the diet and/or supplements, whereas vitamin D3 is also produced by the skin after sun exposure. It should be noted that the natural ingestion of this vitamin is the best way to go, as supplementation can be beneficial; however, it is not as effective and overdoses are common.

Good dietary sources of vitamin D include fatty fish — such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines — fish oils, butter, egg yolks, liver, and fortified foods, such as hot breakfast cereals, milk, margarine, and orange juice.

The Institute of Medicine recommends a daily intake 600 IU (international units) for children and adults younger than 70, and 800 for those 70 and older, but as we will see in a moment, these recommendations are most likely outdated.

Apart from including vitamin D-rich foods in your diet, it is recommended that you get 10 to 15 minutes of sun exposure most days of the week on your face, arms, legs, or back (without sunscreen) so your body can produce vitamin D. To safeguard you from the possible harmful effects of sun overexposure, avoid the direct sun between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm, and avoid overdoing your exposure – 10 to 15 minutes is sufficient.

DISEASES THAT VITAMIN D POSITIVELY INFLUENCES

* Heart disease

* Cancer

* Diabetes

* Inflammatory bowel disease

* Rheumatoid arthritis

* Multiple sclerosis

* Osteoporosis

The nutrient now dubbed “the sunshine vitamin”, is gaining recognition among scientists for its major health benefits.

Vitamin D is different from other vitamins in that it influences the entire body. Receptors that respond to the vitamin have been found in almost every type of human cell, from the brain to the bones.

Vitamin D is also unique in that it’s the only vitamin that humans make on their own (after exposure to ultraviolet B light from the sun).

It takes a fair-skinned person only 15 minutes or less to generate 10,000 to 20,000 IU of vitamin D on a sunny day.

All of vitamin D’s health effects are not yet known, but it’s clear that the vitamin is a “blockbuster” nutrient capable of:

* Strengthening bones and the immune system;

* Slowing down cancer;

* Preventing type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and schizophrenia; and

* Providing pain relief.

Many scientists believe vitamin D deficiency is an unrecognised epidemic worldwide. Experts are calling for revisions to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) vitamin D recommendations, which are outdated. The FDA recommends 200 IU of vitamin D daily for those under 51, and 400 IU for those 51 to 70. However, researchers say the recommendations should be around 1,000 IU daily for all ages, and perhaps as high as 2,000 IU.

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