The importance of Vitamin D

As we move into Autumn and Winter, the days begin to get shorter and the amount of time we spend outside decreases. You may have noticed that Vitamin D supplementation has been circulating our headlines, with the main question being should we take a vitamin D supplement or not? We have broken everything down for you - here is what you need to know!

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What is vitamin D?

Vitamin D is a fat soluble pro - hormone (1) and is needed in the body as it regulates calcium and phosphorus which is important in maintaining musculoskeletal health (2). As vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus work together they help to maintain our bones, teeth and muscles (3). Vitamin D also supports our immunity.

The National Diet and Nutrition Survey showed that 1 in 6 adults possess low Vitamin D levels in their blood (4). If our diet is low in vitamin D it can cause bone deformities in children, this is known as rickets (3). Rickets can lead to bone pain, poor growth and soft and weak bones (5). Many years ago rickets was very common, now in the UK a relatively small proportion of the population have this condition. As an adult, a diet low in vitamin D can cause bone pain, identified as osteomalacia (3). Osteomalacia is a similar condition to rickets however it is characterised by soft bones (5).

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Sources of Vitamin D

Vitamin D can be found in two forms there is vitamin D₂ and vitamin D₃. Both of which can be found in food sources or supplements. However, vitamin D₃ is also produced by UVB radiation in sunlight (2).

Sources of Vitamin D include (3):

- Oily fish e.g. salmon

- Red meat

- Liver

- Egg yolks

- Certain fortified foods e.g. breakfast cereals

- Supplements (For vegetarians and vegans supplements should contain D₃ from lichen or D₂(6)).

- Last but not least, sunshine!

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Recommendations

A recent survey carried out by the British Nutrition Foundation revealed that 49% of adults are oblivious to the UK’s government guidelines for Vitamin D supplements during autumn and winter seasons (7). It is recommended that the average adult has 10µg/d of vitamin D a day (3) from the months of October to March. For individuals who do not go out much, due to lack of mobility, hospitalization, or other reasons, a year-round supplementation is recommended. During the Summer months from late March/ early April we should be able to reach our vitamin D intake from direct sunlight. However, during the Winter months from early October to March we may not get enough from direct sunlight, therefore a supplement should be considered (8). Alongside this, the current climate of COVID - 19 may have meant we have not reached our recommendation due to lockdown and people spending more time indoors and less time outside therefore a supplement should also be considered (3).

For those ethnic populations with darker skin such as African, African Caribbean and South Asian origin you may not meet your vitamin D recommendation. So, you may need to consider year round supplementation alongside assessing your time spent in direct sunlight and your food sources(8,9).

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At the end of the day, most people will reach their vitamin D intake over the Summer months from sunlight but as the U.K. comes into Winter we should consider a daily supplement. Have you seen the news discussing vitamin D and COVID - 19? Check out our article which uncovers all the facts.

Lina BenjellounComment