Adequate levels of vitamin D, also referred
to as the ‘sunshine vitamin’, are metabolised by the human body from
as little as 15 minutes sun exposure during the summer months.
During the winter, limited sunlight and
absence of ultraviolet light mean that many people are susceptible
to deficiency. Those particularly at risk of deficiency are those
with darker skin or those who cover up most of their body for
religious reasons.
The government is addressing this problem
with a new campaign to boost vitamin D levels. The department says
pregnant and breastfeeding women and children under the age of four
could benefit from taking a supplement containing 10 micrograms of
vitamin D a day.
Vitamin D supplements are now being included
under the UK's Healthy Start scheme, which supplies certain
nutritious foodstuffs and infant formula to vulnerable sections of
the community, such as people on state benefits and pregnant women
under the age of 18.
Dr Colin Michie, a paediatrician at Ealing Hospital in London,
explained why vitamin D is so important during pregnancy and early
childhood:
"Babies receive vitamin D from their
mothers while in the womb, and then from breast milk until they are
weaned," he said.
"If a pregnant or breastfeeding woman is
lacking in vitamin D, the baby will also have low vitamin D and
calcium levels which can lead babies to develop seizures in the
first months of life."
Depression
and Alzheimer's Disease in the elderly have also been linked with
low levels of Vitamin D, as well as incontinence, decreased mobility
and arthritis.
Vitamin D deficiency in the general
population has been linked with increased bone fractures, diabetes,
breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, Parkinson's Disease
and Multiple Sclerosis.
See:
Vitamin
D deficiency on the increase in the UK
