Scared Of The Sun - The Global Pandemic Of Vitamin D Deficiency

Brain Blogger

Under the grey skies of the UK, a childhood disease thought to have been almost eliminated half a century ago is rising up like a specter from the past, spooking parents and doctors alike. Rickets, a condition which evokes images of a bygone era of childhood malnutrition, is on the rise in a big way, and its principal cause is a lack of vitamin D.

This phenomenon isn’t limited to the British Isles however. Vitamin D deficiency has already become a global pandemic, yet remains frequently overlooked by both media and health professionals. Recent research suggests that more than 80% of the European population and half of the world are vitamin D deficient. It is possible to obtain vitamin D principally from food and food supplements, but the main and best source of vitamin D is sun exposure.

Conflicting recommendations about the risks of sun exposure and its relationship to skin cancer has contributed to a lack of exposure to the sun’s UV rays as people cover up and use sunscreen. Nonetheless there are a multitude of factors at work here, and a sharp rise in time spent indoors must be considered as a significant contributing social factor.

Vitamin D is absolutely essential for human health. Most of the body’s tissues and cells have vitamin D receptors. It helps in regulating the immune system, and is necessary for the transformation of blood calcium to bone calcium — essential for strong bones. Deficiency has been linked to a number of illnesses such as osteoporosis, osteomalacia, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, hypertension, depression, obesity, dementia and cancer.

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