The Sunshine Drug
By Rachel Garrod
What’s this new health drug that all the scientists are talking about? The one that is good for our bones, our mental health, our immune system… the one that prevents rickets. Yes, of course – it’s vitamin D! This new “wonder drug” is now thought to provide a wealth of health and well-being benefits – and we don’t even need a prescription to get it.
As far back as 1922 Edward Mallenby showed that childhood deficiency in vitamin D led to rickets, but fortunately over the course of 80 years or so we have pretty much eliminated rickets. However, in the last decade cases of rickets have risen alarmingly. In one report it was shown that one in four toddlers in the UK had low Vitamin D levels, and in the US a massive one in three people are thought to be deficient.
We can obtain vitamin D from our diet but there are relatively few foods that provide it in adequate quantities. Oily fish like tuna and mackerel are good sources, and beef and egg yolks and some cheeses provide a little, but the main source of vitamin D comes from exposure to sunlight.
The reason for the increased prevalence of rickets is likely to be complex (especially when considered worldwide) but in the UK too little sun may be the most important cause. Children and teenagers spend less time outdoors than 50 or so years ago; increased traffic, safety fears and the lure of a good computer game make this a fact of life. But over-vigilance from the dangers of the sun is also a contributing factor.
Nowadays we have even more reasons to ensure we get enough Vitamin D. There are quite a few studies showing that in Alzheimer’s disease people who have the condition have lower levels of vitamin D than those without. It’s not known yet whether this is causal or not: it could be that people with the disease were just less likely to go outside and the low levels were coincidental. However, if the opportunity arises, it’s another good reason to be in the sun when we can.
In addition, vitamin D may be an important player in helping to protect against respiratory diseases such as asthma, emphysema and even tuberculosis. Just last year research highlighted that people who were severely deficient in vitamin D had twice the risk of a respiratory disease or infection than those with the highest levels. The authors of the study suggested that vitamin D might help the immune system.
What does all this mean for us in Spain? Well we certainly get enough opportunities to see the sun and, of course, we have to protect ourselves. However, sunlight filtered by windows or by high sun factor protection will not penetrate the skin enough to stimulate the production of vitamin D. Twenty to thirty minutes of unprotected time should be adequate for most people, although those with darker skin will require longer exposure and on cloudy days more time could be needed.
So are you getting enough sunlight to top up your daily dose of vitamin D? We must not forget the sun’s damaging effects but it is important not to overdo that caution. Let’s enjoy the summer a little more and make sure we get our daily allowance of this free health drug.
Rachel Garrod PhD MSc is a physiotherapy lecturer and stop
smoking counsellor
Tel. (+34) 652 281 122
rachelgarrod1@gmail.com
