Should I be Taking Vitamin D this Winter?

This week I'm going to be discussing vitamin D. Should we be taking it? What are the recommendations? And does it really make a difference?

SHOULD WE BE TAKING VITAMIN D?

According to a National UK survey, 1 in 5 people in the UK [1] are vitamin D deficient. So if you live in the UK this is a post for you!

WHERE DOES VITAMIN D COME FROM?

We get most of our required Vitamin D from 2 Sources [2]:

1. Sunshine - You make vitamin D under your skin when you are outside in daylight, which is the reason vitamin D is sometimes called the ‘sunshine vitamin’. It is the sun’s ultraviolet rays that allow vitamin D to be made in the body. You do not have to sunbathe to make vitamin D. In the UK, ultraviolet sun rays is only strong enough to make vitamin D on exposed skin (on the hands, face and arms or legs) during April to September.

2. Food - Vitamin D rich foods are:

• Oily fish such as salmon, sardines, pilchards, trout, herring, kippers and eel contain reasonable amounts of vitamin D

• Cod liver oil contains a lot of vitamin D (don’t take this if you are pregnant)

• Egg yolk, meat, offal and milk contain small amounts but this varies during the seasons

• Margarine, some breakfast cereals, infant formula milk and some yogurts have added or are ‘fortified’ with vitamin D

WHAT DOES VITAMIN D DO?

According to the NHS, Vitamin D helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. These nutrients are needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy.

A lack of vitamin D can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children, and bone pain caused by a condition called osteomalacia in adults, which also can cause falls. [3]

WHAT ARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS?

The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) completed a new report in 2016 on The UK's Vitamin D levels (the last report was completed in 1991). From this report they added 4 new recommendations [4]:

• A reference nutrient intake (RNI) of 10 micrograms of vitamin D per day, throughout the year, for everyone in the general population aged 4 years and older

• An RNI of 10 micrograms of vitamin D per day for pregnant and lactating women and population groups at increased risk of vitamin D deficiency

• A ‘safe intake’ of 8.5 to 10 micrograms per day for all infants from birth to 1 year of age

• A ‘safe intake’ of 10 micrograms per day for children aged 1 to 4 years

The RNI and safe intakes refer to intake from all dietary sources such as natural food sources, fortified foods (including infant formula milk) and supplements. They also refer to average intakes over a period of time, such as a week, and take account of day-to-day variations in intake.

WILL IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

In short, you won't notice a change to your physical or mental self by taking a Vitamin D supplement. For most of us, to preserve our bone strength, it will mean taking 1 10mg Vitamin D tablet from October to March.

Lots of Love

Ruth xxx