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Vitamin D 'can cut risk of heart disease and diabetes'
PEOPLE who get plenty of vitamin D can cut their chance of developing heart disease or diabetes by 43 per cent, say researchers.
Exposure to sunshine alongside a healthy diet rich in oily fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel can provide adequate protection, they said.
Researchers reviewed 28 existing studies on almost 100,000 people looking at vitamin D levels among the middle-aged and elderly.
The team, from Warwick Medical School, examined the effect of the vitamin on cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
One of the authors, Dr Johanna Parker, who is currently working in a Birmingham GP practice, said: "The research we conducted looked at naturally-occurring vitamin D rather than supplements.
"We recommend people eat a healthy diet with two to three portions of oily fish a week and five portions of fruit and vegetables.
"Most – 90 per cent – of your vitamin D comes from sunshine so we recommend sensible sun exposure in the summer.
"People should expose themselves for 30 minutes twice a week – this means exposing the face and arms with no sunscreen.This would provide the body with adequate vitamin D."
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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