For years sciencists have told us the harm that too much exposure to the sun can have; evidence born out of the fact that levels of skin cancer have risen.

However, scientists are now suggesting that staying out of the sun altogether is not the answer.

Vitamin D and the role it plays

Vitamin D is produced by the body when ultra-violet light from the sun hits our skin. Exposure to sun light is the single best way fro the body to produce vitamin D, essential for healthy bones, and now it seems essential to ward off other disease other that  rockets or osteoporosis (brittle bone disease).

Recently scientists have linked a deficency in vitamin D to a rise in bowel cancer, breast cancer, heart disease, joint disease, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, birth difficulties, autism and dementia.

Vitamin D deficent

Is there a link between vitamin D deficency and these diseases? Well, it seems most of us are 60 vitamin D deficent in the Summer and as much as 90 percent deficent during the Winter months.

Vitamin D and influenza

It is also a belief by and American doctor, John Cannell, that people are more susceptible to flu during the Winter because of a lack of vitamin D being produced by the body, due to a lack of contact with sunlight.

The reason, Cannell believes, that vitamin D deficency plays a part is that vitamin D has been shown to stimulate the production of antimicrobial chemicals that kill the flu virus dead. Hence, more sunlight means more vitamin D production and more antimicrobial chemicals, meaning less flu.

The World Health Organisation

As recently as late 2008 said there was "strong evidence that increased daily intake of vitamin D could significantly improve health". However, whether here is a direct link to developing multiple sclorosis or heart disease (perhaps a genetic disorder) or whether a lack of vitamin D simple accelerates a condition isn't yet fully knowm.

Increasing your daily vitamin D intake

During the Summer and Spring months aim to exposure yourself to sunlight for 10 to 20 minutes a day; expose your arms as for the best production of vitamin D from sunlight you must gain more sunlight to skin exposure than simply the face and hands.

Vitamin D without sunlight

So can you gain more vitamin D without exposure to sunlight? Well yes:

1. Oily fish, like sradines are high in vitamin D.
2. Take cold liver oil tablets - like oily fish, cold liver oil tablets are high in vitamin D.
3. Take vitamin supplements as good tablets will contain a high percentage of your recommended daily allowance (RDA) or vitamin D.