We have all heard the saying “Mad Dogs and Englishmen out in the Midday Sun”! Well maybe this little ditty has been misleading afterall!

Many of you will have heard people starting to talk about Vitamin D – doctors and other health professionals, dietitians and nutritionists. Why has it suddenly taken on such importance?

Well, the truth is that it is only in recent years that we have actually been able to measure it commercially and it is only in the past few years that it has gained popularity and that its health benefits have started to be fully understood.

Research now suggests that Vitamin D has far more wide reaching effects than we previously understood. Every cell in our body cries out for it.

And where do we get Vitamin D from? Well, the very best source is the SUN! That makes sense really. We know that without the sun, life on our planet would not exist – so our lives without it will also not exist.

Vitamin D supports a huge list of important biological functions in the body, and regulates more than 2000 genes:

• Heart health
• Skin health
• Eye health
• Respiratory health
• Pancreatic health
• Cell formation
• Cell longevity
• Aging process
• Vascular system health
• Athletic performance
• Reproductive health
• Immune health
• Sleep patterns
• Weight management
• Digestion and food absorption
• Strong and healthy bones
• Muscles
• Hair and hair follicles

The best way to ensure that you get enough Vitamin D is actually to spend 15-20 minutes a day in the direct midday sunlight! With all of the scares about skin cancer, we have tended to overprotect ourselves from the sun and slather ourselves with creams and lotions that block our skin´s ability to absorb it. People who spend long winter months in the northern hemisphere are especially affected!

As a result, there is increasing evidence that we are becoming Vitamin D deficient and this is contributing toward a breakdown in our health. It is always worth getting your minerals and vitamins tested occasionally, but in the meantime ……

Get out there every day – unprotected – but just for 15 minutes! An alternative is to use a tanning bed that uses UV-B rays , or you can get Vitamin D supplements but it is important that you take these under medical direction to ensure that you don’t overdose.