Summary
I -- January this year, the chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies told parents to give all children under five vitamin D supplements to prevent diseases such as rickets. Experts have warned for many years that not only children but many adults are at risk from vitamin D deficiency. A recent NHS leaflet explains that deficiency impairs the absorption of dietary calcium and phosphorus, which can lead to bone deformities, such as bowed legs in children, and bone pain and tenderness for adults as a result of osteomalacia (the adult version of rickets).
Supplements are vital for many groups, adds the NHS leaflet, including pregnant and breast-feeding women (especially young women), over-65s, people with dark skin (because their bodies don't make as much vitamin D), plus anyone who isn't exposed to much sun, including women who cover up for cultural reasons, and anyone who's indoors for long periods.See the full content of this document
Extract
The Sunshine Vitamin Boost ; Health Notes
About 90 per cent of vitamin D is produced through the action of strong summer sunlight on bare skin, explains health campaigner Oliver Gillie i...
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