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Research shows the immune system is boosted by holidays in the sun

Tue, 09 Mar 2010

A holiday in the sun not only lifts your mood but according to new research it can also boost you immune system .

While on holiday in warmer countries, scientists believe that our skin when exposed to the sun makes vitamin D in the body, this then activates white blood cells that protect the body from food poisoning, flu and even cancer. Without vitamin D cells in the body cannot fight disease.

It is hoped that this discovery can lead to the development of vaccines and other treatments for auto-immune diseases and cancer.

Vitamin D is widely known for calcium absorption and bone health. Some studies suggest a link with anti-cancer properties. However scientists hadn’t known how crucial it is for the immune system.

Tests have shown that vitamin D triggers dormant white blood cells into ones that seek out and destroy infections. Other white blood cells help the immune system create a memory of the infection letting it act quickly if the infected cells appear again.

While vitamin D is found in oily fish and eggs, the majority comes from exposure to the sun. Half the population in England has low levels of vitamin D especially at the end of the each winter. In Scotland this figure rises to two-thirds.

The paper was published in the journal Nature Immunology.
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