Summary

Scotland's northerly location in the United Kingdom means its residents get less sunlight and less vitamin D than England. The Scots are also more prone to cardiovascular disease and cancer. There could be a connection between vitamin D deficiency and chronic diseases, argues a new report.

Introduction

It is known that people in Scotland have lower than average levels of vitamin D in their bodies when compared to those in England. The reason is that Scotland is further north and there is less exposure to sunlight to be had. Vitamin D is essential for health in many ways which may not be fully appreciated. Therefore, people in Scotland perhaps need to get more vitamin D to improve their health.

Scotland's health burden

There is concern everywhere in the Western world now about chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Scotland has a particularly bad record, with death rates higher than in England and other Western countries. Health has been improving in Scotland but not as fast as elsewhere.

Is vitamin D responsible?

It is often assumed that diet and lifestyle are responsible for the chronic diseases of civilization. However, insufficient vitamin D is also a factor in increasing the risk of various diseases, such as several cancers, heart disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis, high blood pressure, both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, arthritis, bone fractures and bone disease. Most of these conditions are more common in Scotland than in England. Indeed, Scotland has a higher percentage of multiple sclerosis sufferers than anywhere else in the world, and the second highest percentage of patients with Crohn's disease. Dr Oliver Gillie, independent researcher and former medical correspondent of The Sunday Times, argues in a new report that it is telling that there is a significant difference in the level of sunlight between Scotland and England. A healthy person in Europe or North America receives over 90 percent of their body's vitamin D requirements from sun exposure.

What to do

Previously, the Scots have been advised to improve their diets by cutting down on fat and adopting more healthy eating habits. What they have never been offered is a way of boosting their vitamin D status, Gillie says. Indeed, people are cautioned to stay out of the sun in the interests of avoiding skin cancer. Fortifying food with vitamin D would be cheap and could bring enormous benefits in terms of health to the Scottish nation. It would also be more practical than having people take vitamin D supplements. The public could also be encouraged to get out in the sun, while protecting themselves from sunburn. It is the latter, rather than the sun itself, which raises the risk of skin cancer.