This
week’s installment is quite important and apt for the Summer!
Vitamin D
recommendations in the UK (and in other Western countries) has been the subject
of much debate and research. The new advice
on vitamin D from Public Health England (PHE), says that children and adults
over the age of one should have 10 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin D every day.
This means that some people may want to consider taking a supplement.
Importance of Vitamin D:
Vitamin D
helps to control the amount of calcium and phosphate in our bodies. Both are
needed for healthy bones, teeth and muscles.
Sources of Vitamin D:
Vitamin D
is found naturally in a small number of foods, including oily fish, red meat,
liver and egg yolks. It's also found in fortified foods like breakfast cereals
and fat spreads.
However,
it's difficult for us to get the recommended amount of vitamin D from food
alone. Our main source of vitamin D is from the action of sunlight on our
skin.
Vitamin D supplements:
You may need a Vitamin D
supplement if you don’t get enough sunlight, remember food sources do not
supply enough.
- Your body is usually able to get all the vitamin D it
needs if you regularly expose enough bare skin to the sun,
studies cannot estimate how long this needs to be as it depends on many
factors. However, many people don’t get enough sunlight because they spend
a lot of time inside. The use of sunscreen also blocks this process.
- It’s also
difficult for some people to get enough vitamin D from the sun during the
winter.
The following people are more likely to be lacking in
vitamin D:
·
People
with darker skin. The darker your skin the more sun you need to get the same
amount of vitamin D as a fair-skinned person. For this reason, if you’re Black,
you’re much more likely to have vitamin D deficiency that someone who is White.
·
People
who spend a lot of time indoors during the day. For example, if you’re housebound,
or work nights.
·
People
who cover their skin all of the time. For example, if you wear sunscreen or if
your skin is covered up with clothes.
·
People
that live in countries with fewer hours of overhead sunlight due to them being
further away from the equator.
·
Older
people have thinner skin than younger people and this may mean that they can’t
produce as much vitamin D.
·
Infants
that are breastfed and aren’t given a vitamin D supplement. If you’re
feeding your baby on breast milk alone, and you don’t give your baby a vitamin
D supplement or take a supplement yourself, your baby is more likely to be
deficient in vitamin D.
·
Pregnant
women.
·
People
who are very overweight (obese).
Vitamin
D deficiency:
The truth is that it’s extremely difficult to tell whether you
have a vitamin D deficiency. The only way to be absolutely sure is to take a
blood test. Most people with a vitamin D deficiency won’t be aware of it. It
doesn’t usually produce noticeable symptoms.
If you are vitamin D deficient, you may experience:
·
muscle/joint pain and
weakness
·
bone pain
·
tiredness or fatigue
·
depression
Consequences of low Vitamin D levels:
Vitamin D deficiency is
linked with an increased risk for serious diseases. Reduced levels are
associated with cancer, cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis, and autoimmune
disorders. Deficiency is also linked with multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes,
and even depression.
Recommended
next steps:
Examine your risk
factors – to see how likely it is that you are deficient, then check with your
doctor. A simple blood test can help you figure out your next steps. Your GP
will either prescribe Vitamin D supplements or
recommend you buy them over the counter.
Either way you should
be careful to follow the prescribers’ / manufacturers direction.
If you need more
information please feel free to inbox me at foodforpurpose@gmail.com, or contact
your Healthcare professional for advice.
