There is no such thing as a cure-all, but Vitamin D comes pretty close. Jeremy Laurance explains how a little sunshine could help you live a lot longer.

Autism

Atmospheric Pollution by blocking some of the ultraviolet rays of the sun, can promote the development of vitamin D deficiency.

Blood levels of vitamin D were measured in two areas of Delhi, India: one with high levels of air pollution and the other with significantly less pollution.

Average vitamin D concentration was 54% lower in the former than in the latter. 46% of children in heavily polluted area had subnormal blood levels of vitamin D, in 12% the deficiency was severe enough to cause rickets. 

Archives of Disease in Childhood (2002;87;111-3) 

Rickets

This is the disease traditionally linked with vitamin D deficiency. A century ago, the typical bow-legged gait of children whose bones had softened and deformed in the absence of the vitamin was a common sight. Cod liver oil, which contains vitamin D, was introduced as a welfare food in 1942 and virtually eliminated the condition. Now, rickets is reappearing. Last June, doctors in Dundee reported five cases in ethnically Asian children; dark skin produces vitamin D more slowly than lighter skin.

Vitamin D is crucial for the absorption of calcium, which is the building material for new bones. As well as leading to rickets, deficiencies can contribute to poor tooth formation, stunted growth and general ill health.

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence is consulting on a proposal to recommend supplements for certain pregnant women at risk: vegans and women who cover their skin for religious reasons. Supplements are already recommended for infants at risk, and are available free to families on income support and jobseeker's allowance.