'Sunshine vitamin' could be used in variety of healthcare plans

Vitmain D, which is produced when the body is exposed to sunlight, could be a key component in healthcare plans to treat a number of diseases, including certain cancers.

That is the suggestion of the results of a new study led by Oxford University into the effects of vitamin D on health.

Published in the journal Genome Research, researchers used DNA sequencing technology to identify over 200 genes that are influenced by vitamin D.

These included genes associated with susceptibility to autoimmune conditions such as MS, Crohn's disease, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, and to cancers such as chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and colorectal cancer.

Lead author of the paper, Dr Sreeram Ramagopalan, from the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics at Oxford University, said: "There is now evidence supporting a role for vitamin D in susceptibility to a host of diseases. Vitamin D supplements during pregnancy and the early years could have a beneficial effect on a child's health in later life."

It is estimated that one billion people worldwide do not have sufficient vitamin D.

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