Rainy day blues: Britain’s record-breaking bad weather linked to rise in broken bones

Britain’s record-breaking bad weather this year may have contributed to a rise in serious falls and bone fractures, according to experts.

The UK has experienced its rainiest and cloudiest start to a year since 1908, with some areas yet to see any extended periods of sunlight.

And evidence collected from late last year until now indicates that simultaneously there has been a rise in dangerous falls and bone fractures among older people, with scientists pointing to links to the weather.

Long periods of darkness can lead to a deficiency in vitamin D, which is needed to keep bones and muscles healthy.

The nutrient is gained primarily through exposure to sunlight, which means long periods without it can lead to bones becoming at risk of fracturing easier.

Plus, combined with wet, dark and sometimes icy weather, falls become more likely.

Studies show around 20 per cent of Britons are vitamin D deficient.

And experts say during winter – particularly long and dark ones – the number of people lacking in vitamin D rises.

This is why the NHS recommends everyone takes a daily vitamin D supplement between October and April – about ten micrograms per day.

However, there is disagreement over how exactly a vitamin D deficiency impacts people.

Some research has suggested that low levels are linked to a raised risk of deadly heart disease, but others have found taking a vitamin D supplement does not lower this risk.

Professor Baukje de Roos, a nutrition expert at the University of Aberdeen, says: ‘Vitamin D certainly keeps our bones and muscles strong. This is particularly true for young children and post-menopausal women. Low levels means weak muscles and bones, which raises the risk of falls and could lead to bone breaks.’

She adds that, along with taking a vitamin D supplement, Britons should try to eat more oily fish.