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Low Levels Of Sunshine Vitamin Raises Diabetes Risk
Thu, 28 Jul 2011
A lack of sunlight is putting millions of people at risk of diabetes because they don't have enough vitamin D in their bodies, a new landmark study has revealed.

Researchers at Melbourne Pathology in Australia tested the blood of 5,200 people and found that those with high levels of vitamin D were less likely to develop diabetes than those with lower levels.

For every extra 25 nanomoles of vitamin D per litre of blood (nmol/L), they found that the chance of getting the metabolic disease was reduced by 24 per cent.

The study could lead to at-risk patients – those with less than 50 nanomoles of vitamin D in their blood - using vitamin D supplements as part of a healthy diet to help prevent the development of the potentially deadly condition.

Pathologist Dr Ken Sikaris, co-author of the study, said: "It's hard to underestimate how important this might be."

Previous research has already shown that vitamin D deficiency is estimated to cause 600,000 cases of cancer worldwide each year.

While some vitamin D is provided through foods such as fatty fish, milk and eggs, around 90 per cent is generated in the skin by the sun's ultraviolet light.
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