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2:32pm Wednesday 25th January 2012 in Health
By Jonathon Dillon, Assistant news editor
A TOP doctor is concerned that people in East Lancashire are not getting enough vitamin D, which is putting their health at risk.
Dr David Grimes, a consultant gastroenterologist at the Royal Blackburn Hospital, said a lack of vitamin D could be linked to multiple sclerosis and cancer.
He is author of the book Vitamin D and Cholesterol – The Importance of the Sun, which explores the benefits of vitamin D, which is found in sunshine and some foods.
According to research, a quarter of all toddlers in the UK are lacking the vitamin.
Vitamin D supplements are recommended for those at risk of deficiency, including all pregnant and breastfeeding women, children under five, and the elderly.
But research showns that 74 per cent of parents know nothing about the need for supplements and more than half of healthcare professionals were also unaware.
Dr Grimes, who has spent 20 years researching the issue, said: “All advice about avoiding the sun is a lot of nonsense.
“It is said the benefits of the sun outweigh the dangers by a factor of 10,000.
“A lack of Vitamin D is making people pre-disposed to conditions such as MS, diabetes, heart disease, cancer of breast or colon and chronic lung disease.”
The people most at risk were those in the North West, especially in hilly areas – because of cloud cover – people from ethnic minorities and poor people.
The recommended daily amount was 2,000 international units and that supplements were available on prescription.
Dr Grimes said: “In Blackburn we have the highest uptake of Vitamin D supplement during pregnancy in the country. It's thanks to the Surestart Campaign and it’s very successful.”
He said there were still cases of the bone disease rickets in East Lancashire but there was no evidence to suggest it was escalating.
In the 60s there were clinics where people could get a dose of ultra violet light, but they went out with the decline of rickets.
Chief medical officer Professor Dame Sally Davies said the Government would be reviewing the issue.
Comments(25)
Lifeinthemix
says...
4:24pm Wed 25 Jan 12
Izanears
says...
4:29pm Wed 25 Jan 12
Lifeinthemix wrote:How can some people get the sun when they go out with their faces covered up!!
the SUN, that's all you need
Dave_P
says...
4:33pm Wed 25 Jan 12
sean_brfc
says...
4:45pm Wed 25 Jan 12
Izanears wrote:Hoodies?
Lifeinthemix wrote:How can some people get the sun when they go out with their faces covered up!!
the SUN, that's all you need
kojak10
says...
5:06pm Wed 25 Jan 12
dom jolly
says...
5:53pm Wed 25 Jan 12
Izanears wrote:LOLOLOLOLOLOL well said
Lifeinthemix wrote: the SUN, that's all you needHow can some people get the sun when they go out with their faces covered up!!
Keep Darwen Green
says...
5:54pm Wed 25 Jan 12
Lifeinthemix wrote:Thats okay but when can we have the sun round here, its always p1ssing down. Now if we got vitamin D through rain we'd all probably overdose
the SUN, that's all you need
woolywords
says...
7:18pm Wed 25 Jan 12
sean_brfc wrote:I spawned two girls that loved going out plastered in make-up, rarely in daylight, apart from the 2 weeks 'family holiday', where they evaded the beach/poolside, 'because it's full of perverts'..
Izanears wrote:Hoodies?
Lifeinthemix wrote:How can some people get the sun when they go out with their faces covered up!!
the SUN, that's all you need
Armchair Warrior
says...
7:27pm Wed 25 Jan 12
woolywords wrote:Don't understand any of your post at all - your not by any chance Mr blobby are you?
sean_brfc wrote:I spawned two girls that loved going out plastered in make-up, rarely in daylight, apart from the 2 weeks 'family holiday', where they evaded the beach/poolside, 'because it's full of perverts'.. Painted the bedrooms in dark colours, rarely if ever, opened the blinds.. And when they became school-leavers, spent little or no time in the sunshine, except at sunset or dawn...as they were students. And as for race, they only did it to the bathroom, when it was free, then 'camped' in there, for hours. Absolutely love hearing them complain about thier own offspring habits...such an echo.Izanears wrote:Hoodies?Lifeinthemix wrote: the SUN, that's all you needHow can some people get the sun when they go out with their faces covered up!!
living the end times in BB1
says...
7:38pm Wed 25 Jan 12
woolywords wrote:Weirdo...Check his hardrive.
sean_brfc wrote:I spawned two girls that loved going out plastered in make-up, rarely in daylight, apart from the 2 weeks 'family holiday', where they evaded the beach/poolside, 'because it's full of perverts'..
Izanears wrote:Hoodies?
Lifeinthemix wrote:How can some people get the sun when they go out with their faces covered up!!
the SUN, that's all you need
Painted the bedrooms in dark colours, rarely if ever, opened the blinds..
And when they became school-leavers, spent little or no time in the sunshine, except at sunset or dawn...as they were students.
And as for race, they only did it to the bathroom, when it was free, then 'camped' in there, for hours.
Absolutely love hearing them complain about thier own offspring habits...such an echo.
j166429
says...
8:22pm Wed 25 Jan 12
Lifeinthemix wrote:I think that is the point of this story isn't it? There is a lack of the Sun in East Lancashie.
the SUN, that's all you need
Lifeinthemix
says...
8:27pm Wed 25 Jan 12
kojak10 wrote:vaccinations bud, MS is a long term effect of your childhood vaccinations
i had loads of sun throughout my life and still got Multiple Sclerosis. Wish to god i hadn't got it but hey we have to take what's thrown at us.
Lifeinthemix
says...
8:28pm Wed 25 Jan 12
j166429 wrote:yup which brings me to geoengineering and the barium release to block the sun for global warming....
Lifeinthemix wrote:I think that is the point of this story isn't it? There is a lack of the Sun in East Lancashie.
the SUN, that's all you need
BuckoTheMoose
says...
9:33pm Wed 25 Jan 12
j166429 wrote:I don't think that's the point of the post. There is enough sun if you don't go out covered in a burka or cover your kids in sunblock because you are woried about the scare stories of skin cancer.
Lifeinthemix wrote:I think that is the point of this story isn't it? There is a lack of the Sun in East Lancashie.
the SUN, that's all you need
woolywords
says...
9:47pm Wed 25 Jan 12
hairy mary
says...
10:13pm Wed 25 Jan 12
Jerzei Balowski
says...
10:36pm Wed 25 Jan 12
Lifeinthemix
says...
12:56am Thu 26 Jan 12
kitchener2
says...
7:44am Thu 26 Jan 12
Lifeinthemix wrote:Don't talk wet, if M.S. was caused by childhood vaccinations we'd have far more cases than the current UK total of 100,000. The fact is no one actually knows the real cause. Good luck with the fight kojak10 !
kojak10 wrote: i had loads of sun throughout my life and still got Multiple Sclerosis. Wish to god i hadn't got it but hey we have to take what's thrown at us.vaccinations bud, MS is a long term effect of your childhood vaccinations
Lifeinthemix
says...
10:52am Thu 26 Jan 12
Noiticer
says...
1:43pm Thu 26 Jan 12
vegeboy
says...
8:07pm Thu 26 Jan 12
Graham Hartley
says...
2:16pm Fri 27 Jan 12
Graham Hartley
says...
10:18pm Thu 2 Feb 12
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Armchair Warrior says...
4:07pm Wed 25 Jan 12