Vitamin D again

[Torchwatch]

We have previously discussed how children need vitamin D, a vitamin D deficient diet, plus an indoor lifestyle while wearing long trousers or long shorts, and long sleeved shirts has caused middle class British children to develop rickets. far better for young boys to wear speedos in the sunshine at an outdoor pool, lake or beach. Trouble is most of the lidos built in the 1930s have been demolished as spending cuts.

We have also discussed how vitamin D deficiency in middle or old age can cause eye degradation, so middle aged and older men should don their speedos and head for the outdoor pools, lakes and beaches too.

A recent trial involving older middle aged men taking vitamin D tablets daily inadvertently discovered that the group taking vitamin D tablets suffered significantly fewer heart attacks than the control group. Further work on the subject needs to but done but take vitamin D daily and wear your speedos whenever you can, it might save your life.

[Bede735]

But then, if you're pale-skinned - you have to be careful not to absorb too much UV radiation.

[PSDave]

Again - I am confused. What do long pants and long sleeve shirts have to do with Vitamin D deficiency? If the boys are getting a balanced diet with plenty of dairy there should be no problem. Milk is the best source of Vitamin D which a shortage of is the cause of rickets. Not one of my medical books warns of wearing long pants contributes to weak bones,

[Bede735]

Indeed, I've usually worn long shirts and pants and I've never had any problems. I do like drinking milk, mind.

[Torchwatch]

In the Uk cow's milk is not a good source of vitamin D, see below.
We should all balance exposing our bodies to sunlight between the benefits and the risk of sunburn and skin cancer. Melanin controls skin colour, the darker we are the more protection we have to dangerous UV light, if we are naturally pale skinned then short exposures to sunlight will cause production of melanin though tanning without burning or harm, though we should still consider the use of titanium dioxide based sun creams.

The evidence is now that vitamin D stops rickets and reduces the risks of some forms of blindness and heart attacks in later life. So my advice is to eat the right foods and to wear speedos outdoors enough to slowly build up a tan and improve our health.


source: NHS Your health, your choices
Vitamin D*
Vitamin D helps to regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body.
These nutrients are needed to keep bones,*teeth and muscles*healthy.
A lack of*vitamin D can*lead to bone deformities such as*rickets in children, and bone pain and tenderness as a result of a condition called osteomalacia in adults.
Good sources of vitamin D
From about late March/April to the end of September, most of us should be able to get all the vitamin D we need from sunlight on our skin. The vitamin is made by our body under the skin in reaction to sunlight.
If you are out in the sun, take care to cover up or protect your skin with sunscreen before you turn red or get burnt.*Between October and early March we don't get any vitamin D from sunlight.
Read more about how we get vitamin D from sunlight.
Vitamin D is also found in a small number of foods. Good food sources are:
oily fish*– such as salmon, sardines, herring*and mackerel
red meat
liver
egg yolks
fortified foods such as most fat spreads and some*breakfast cereals
Another source of vitamin D is dietary supplements.
In the UK,*cows' milk is generally not a good source of vitamin D because it isn't fortified, as it is in some other countries.