| NUTRITION | INDUSTRY INSIDER It is well known that in


countries such as the UK, there is a high rate of hypovitaminosis D in the general population in winter and spring as there is insufficient UVB radiation in the winter months.


Sunlight also fails for darker skin


types. The darker your skin is, the more UV radiation you will need. Vitamin D synthesis is reduced in those who have dark skin owing to the presence of melanin, which absorbs UV radiation. For people with moderately fair skin, adequate vitamin D levels are likely to be maintained in summer by a walk outside with arms (or equivalent area) exposed for 6–7 minutes mid-morning or mid-afternoon, on most days. In winter the task is more difficult, and in many parts of the country there is only sufficient UVB radiation to produce vitamin D around noon. People with dark skin are likely to need 3–6 times longer sun exposure.


A serious health threat The need to focus on vitamin D and the role it plays in good health is becoming a very hot topic. It has long


been established that a healthy dose of vitamin D will protect us from fractures and help our bone health. Dr Rebecca S. Mason, a


medical endocrine physiologist and Director of the Bosch Institute Faculty of Medicine of Sydney University, says there are enough randomised clinical trials to safely conclude


that


vitamin D with calcium reduces fractures, falls, improves muscle strength, and reduces the chance of dying over the next 5 years, particularly in people who are deficient. Dr Richard Weller from the Department of Dermatology, University of Edinburgh, found a correlation in his research between healthy sun exposure and reduced chances of cardiovascular disease


prime-journal.com | March 2013


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