The ‘safe sun’ policy has made most of us deficient in vitamin D, which has increased our risk of developing diabetes. But it has also affected the health of our teeth, a new study has found.
Teeth decay is much more likely in people who are deficient in vitamin D, which we mainly get from exposure to bright sunlight. Those who have good levels of the vitamin are 50 per cent less likely to suffer dental caries, or decay, say researchers from the University of Washington.
It’s known that vitamin D plays an important role in bone health, but dental associations have consistently denied for 60 years that it had any part to play in the health of the teeth. However, the university’s review of 24 clinical trials involving 3,000 children from various countries demonstrated conclusively that the vitamin helps protect our teeth.
Vitamin D deficiency is a common problem in northern countries, and it’s made worse by ‘safe sun’ policies that urge people to stay out of the midday sun. Earlier reports by WDDTY have demonstrated that a vitamin D deficiency has played a major part in the epidemic of type 2 diabetes. (Source: Nutrition Reviews, 2012; doi: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2012.00544.x)
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