Vitamin D ‘has many health benefits’

Those who want to adopt a healthy diet in order to lose weight and to reduce their risk of disease should consider consuming more vitamin D, an expert has suggested.

Anthony Norma, professor at the University of California, believes that worldwide policy changes should be made regarding people's daily intake of vitamin D.

This is because the vitamin can reduce the frequency of a number of diseases, such as childhood rickets, adult osteomalacia, cancer, autoimmune type-1 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, obesity and muscle weakness.

"A reduction in the frequency of these diseases would increase the quality and longevity of life and significantly reduce the cost of medical care worldwide," said Mr Norman.

Vitamin D can be found naturally in fatty fish species, egg and mushrooms but can also be taken as a dietary supplement.

Earlier this month, researchers at Lousiana State University's Health Sciences Center found that vitamin D could be an effective therapeutic agent to treat or prevent an allergy to a common mould.

Do you get enough vitamin D in your diet?