Feature

The sunshine vitamin

By 2009-11-01T11:37:00

A woman with her arms out in the sun

Source: Shutterstock

Vitamin D is often called the sunshine vitamin, but what is vitamin D, why is it so important, and what evidence is there to link it to such a range of illnesses?

Vitamin D is often called the sunshine vitamin because it is made as a direct result of ultraviolet rays from the sun falling on our skin. Essential for a healthy skeleton, there is now some evidence that a deficiency in this vitamin could lead to illnesses as diverse as cancer, diabetes and flu. So what is vitamin D, why is it so important, and what evidence is there to link it to such a range of illnesses?

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