18th September 2008

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The dull Irish summer may have stopped many people getting enough Vitamin D – and that could have long-term health implications, according to a University of Ulster nutritionist.

Dr Maria Barnes, of the School of Biomedical Sciences, says that because we have had so little sunshine, which is the main source of the vitamin, we should consider boosting our Vitamin D intake through another source – our diet. 

Dr Barnes was speaking at a “thank-you” event organised by the University-based Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), which brought together more than 240 volunteers from the Derry and Coleraine areas who took part in study of the health benefits of Vitamin D.

Dr Barnes said: “There is currently no recommendation on how much Vitamin D adults should be getting from their diet to maintain a level optimal for health. Our research aims to address this question.   

“We have collected a lot of data from the volunteers and we will use this to determine how much extra Vitamin D is required in the diet to reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and inflammatory conditions.”

NICHE has been conducting the three-year nutritional project, funded by the Food Standards Agency, in collaboration with researchers at University College Cork. It is investigating the level of dietary Vitamin D people need to maintain good health during winter.

With Met Eireann reporting sunshine totals for August were between 20 per cent and 40 per cent lower than normal, and the last five days of the month having little or no sunshine, Dr Barnes said that people should take action now.

“We need to seriously consider increasing our dietary intake of Vitamin D. As the main source is from ultra-violet radiation from sunlight exposure, and having had such little sunshine during the summer, our vitamin D status may be even lower. 

“Vitamin D is attainable in small amounts through your diet, from food such as oily fish and eggs, or through dietary supplementation. It is vital for the formation of healthy bones and may also help prevent diseases such as cancers, multiple sclerosis, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.”

The Ulster research recruited healthy people aged 20-40 years and 65-85 years who were provided with Vitamin D supplements during winter.   

Researcher Dr Geraldine Horigan said: “The volunteers received a ‘mini health check’ with blood samples collected to measure vitamin D, calcium, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, amongst other parameters. 

“Height and weight were also measured and used to calculate body mass index and blood pressure and measures of body fat were conducted. In addition, all volunteers received a bone scan to measure their bone density which is used to aid in the diagnosis of osteoporosis. The results of these scans highlighted a high prevalence of low bone mineral density.” 

A volunteer who took part in the study said: “It was a fantastic and enjoyable opportunity to take part in this study. The researchers had a very professional manner and were so accommodating.  We really felt as if we were part of something worthwhile and important.”

The research is continuing and further analysis of the data is expected to yield further interesting results. 

For further information, please contact:

Trina Porter
Telephone: 028 71675511
Email: Trina Porter