Vitamin D deficiency is soaring in Australia

Australia is one of the sunniest places on Earth . So , you would think Australia would have some of the highest levels of vitamin D , which is produced by exposure to sunlight . But you 'd be wrong !Vitamin D is sometimes called the sunshine vitamin because the body manufactures when skin is exposed to ultraviolet B radiation found in sunlight . Vitamin D , which is not actually a vitamin but a hormone , is essential for the formation of healthy bones because it allows the body to absorb more calcium , a mineral that forms bone .while the relationship between sunlight and health of bones were first discovered in the early twentieth century .At that time , most of the population in Northern Europe and the United States are affected by rickets , a condition in which the bones become soft and weak causing stunted frame .Living in the dark , crowded tenements in the cities covered with a layer of smoke and soot from coal burning factories of the Industrial Revolution , people just do not get enough sunlight .Sunlight is a great paradoxAustralia is one of the sunniest countries in the world . But the paradox of vitamin D deficiency is high . An estimated 30 per cent of Australians are deficient in vitamin D at a time .This figure increased in winter when vitamin D deficiency affects 35 percent of men and nearly 60 percent of women living in the southern part of Australia , where the days are shorter and darker than in the north .Sign on the weather at a gas station in Western Australia .Vitamin D deficiency is particularly an issue for elderly Australians.Prince is one of a team of researchers to have recently discovered that vitamin D deficiency affects not only bone , but also interfere with muscle strength and mobility .

Sixty per cent of Australians aged over sixty is a vitamin D deficiency . This means they are more likely to have weaker muscles and in turn , more likely to fall . To make matters worse , their bones weak means they are also more likely to suffer a fracture .

 So , there are multiple reasons for parents to have both vitamin D and calcium are good - one , to strengthen bones and two , to strengthen their muscles .One of the main reasons for vitamin D deficiency in Australia is lifestyle changes that have reduced the amount of time people spend in the sun .
Skin cancer is caused by overexposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun . It is estimated that about one in two Australians develop some type of skin cancer .Evans was diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency three years ago .The Australian Cancer Council found their campaign to cover not responsible for the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the country . But it shows that for many light-skinned people of Australia , who are more at risk of developing skin cancer than olive or dark -skinned person , determine a healthy amount of time to go out in the sun very difficult .This is because the amount of UV in sunlight needed to synthesize vitamin D varies depending on time of day , season , weather conditions , the reflection of the sun and where you actually live . Then the amount an individual can absorb UV depending on their skin type - fair skin absorbs more and darker skin absorbs less .

 Vitamin D supplements in foods , such as milk or cereals . The combination of vitamin D and extra calcium in milk can help all Australians have healthy bones - and still avoid spending too much time in the sun .