RICKETS AND THE SUNSHINE VITAMIN D3

Rickets has been in the news a lot recently in connection with young people because we've bored them to death about covering up in the sun and to splash on the sunblocker. But did you know that rickets may show itself as early as two months of age, when "craniotabes" (areas of softening on the skull) are noted? And furthermore, production of the first teeth may be delayed and the posture affected.

Rickets also produces enlargement at the end of long bones, resulting in characteristic bowing of the legs when the child starts to walk. The vitamin is made in the skin by the action of sunlight on cholesterol and it said 10-15 minutes exposure is good for us. Yea right, that's easier said than done; in many countries reliable sunshine can't be found, especially in winter. But even in hot countries, such as Dubai where Vitamin D3 is very popular, we still don't get the right sunshine because of the health risks of sun-exposure.

Apart from infants and young people, there are certain categories of people who are more likely to be at risk of vitamin D deficiency and who may therefore need to supplement with this nutrient.

These include:

- Vegetarians and especially vegans (Vitamin D is found mostly in animal and dairy products).
- Asian and African women and children who may not eat many vitamin D containing foods and who choose to cover up their skin.
- Pregnant and lactating women whose breast-milk can be low in vitamin D especially during the winter.
- The housebound elderly with a tendency to eat poorly.
- Nordic races where sunshine isn't available for certain months in the year.

So don't forget to take a good quality Vitamin D3 this winter, if not all year round! It has many other applications, such as helping calcium absorbtion, low mood, immune boosting for protection against colds and flu, general bone health, osteoporosis and during pregnancy.

To buy this product click on the following link: Vitamin D3. If you wish to speak to a customer advisor, you can telephone us on 01208 814500 for further information. We're always there to help.