Recent public health warnings that highlight the sunlight-skin cancer link have resulted in a rise in Vitamin D deficiency, in the wake of people's fear of exposure to harmful ultraviolet rays.

The finding is quite worrisome because Vitamin D, produced by the body in response to sunlight, helps protect against cancer and is also thought to be important in helping to prevent bone disease like osteoporosis, autoimmune diseases, asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, Parkinson's disease, and Multiple Sclerosis.

Considering all that, the researchers are seeking a review of the guidelines on sunlight exposure os that it may be ensured that people receive enough vitamin D.

"There has been so much effort put into telling people about the damaging effects of ultraviolet light from sunshine, many now take extreme measures to ensure they don't get exposure by wearing moisturisers with factor 15 all year round," the Telegraph quoted Dr. Veronique Bataille, who led the study, as saying.

"We don't want to say that sunbathing is healthy as there is clearly a risk, but people do need a bit of sunshine to stay healthy," Bataille added.

During the study, the researchers measured vitamin D levels in the blood of 1,414 white women in the UK, and compared the information thus gathered with the subjects' skin type and details about the number of foreign holidays, sunbed use and the number of times they had been sunburnt.