An Oxford University study says that piling on vitamin D supplements and enjoying the summer sun could cut the risk of a host of diseases. The University has linked the vitamin to the activity of more than 200 genes in the body. Vitamin D is made when the skin is exposed to sunlight.

Few of these genes are already known to increase the odds of multiple sclerosis, diabetes, arthritis, dementia and some cancers. Illnesses could be kept at a distance by boosting the levels of the vitamin, as per researchers.

A dose of 50 micrograms per day is recommended by expert Sreeram Ramagopalan. This much is equivalent to ten multi-vitamin pills. Britons should also maximize the summer sun by sunbathing without sunscreen for 15-20 minutes per day.

Dr Ramagopalan said, “If you are born with these genes it does seem that having vitamin supplements or high levels of vitamin D could counteract their effects. Considerations of vitamin D supplementation as a preventative measure for these diseases are strongly warranted.”

The journal, Genome Research, reports that many of the genes had already been implicated in disease.