Lack of 'sunshine vitamin' ups risk of developing diabetes

London, July 27 (ANI): Low levels of vitamin D caused by a lack of sunlight is putting millions of people in danger of developing type 2 diabetes, researchers have found.

A landmark study in Australia, the largest of its kind, found that people with high levels of vitamin D are less likely to develop it, reports the Daily Express.

Pathologist Dr Ken Sikaris, from Melbourne, co-author of the study, said: "It's hard to underestimate how important this might be."

Previous research has already shown that vitamin D deficiency could be to blame for 600,000 cases of cancer worldwide each year, particularly in northern Europe. The vitamin apparently slashes the chance of bowel cancer by 40 per cent and cuts the risk of women developing breast cancer by half.

Research has also suggested that people with high levels of vitamin D can almost halve the danger of developing diabetes or heart disease .

Although we get some vitamin D from foods such as fatty fish, milk and eggs, around 90 per cent is generated in the skin by the sun's ultraviolet light. (ANI)