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Do you suffer with joint pain or stiff and achy muscles? It could be a result of low vitamin D levels. It is estimated that 50% of UK adults and 90% of British south Asians are vitamin D deficient. These high figures could be a consequence of our climate. Though some vitamin D is available through the diet (cod liver oil, oily fish such as salmon and mackerel and eggs), by far the best way to get adequate amounts of vitamin D is via sunlight.

In the UK this means being out in the sun in the middle of the day between April and October for 10 to 20 minutes. A good rule of thumb regarding whether there is enough sunlight for your body to synthesise vitamin D is to look for your shadow – if it’s shorter than you are then you are good to go! Clouds do reduce exposure of the required UVB rays but remember it’s the UVA rays that can cause cancer and early skin ageing, so make sure you have good sun protection on before you go out and get your vitamin D fix.

Vitamin D deficiency would be bad enough if the ramifications where only related to the health of bones and teeth. But new research has discovered special vitamin D receptors through-out the body suggesting a much broader role than previously thought – one more akin to a hormone than a vitamin. Strong links are being established between vitamin D deficiency and colorectal cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke and depression. It is now also recognised as an increasingly potent anti-oxidant with a capacity to help fight common infections such as cold and flu. Perhaps most significantly of all, even after adjusting for age, gender, race and body mass index, several studies have linked low vitamin D to a doubling in the risk of cognitive dysfunction. Vitamin D has been shown to stimulate the clearance of plaques in the brain – one of the key features of Alzheimer’s disease. There is also mounting evidence of links between chronic muscle ache and joint pain and low vitamin D levels though the mechanism is yet to be understood.

To find out if you are vitamin D deficient you will need to go to your doctor and get a blood test to properly establish the degree of any deficiency since vitamin D can be toxic when taken to excess. In the mean time, spring is here so get out there and check your shadow length!