You are probably Vitamin D deficient... What does it mean?
☀️So why the sunshine vitamin?
Are we getting enough of it? Does it really matter and who is at risk?
Vitamin D plays a prominent role in supporting good health, so yes, it matters
Potentially decreasing the risk of many chronic diseases whilst providing many health benefits
It regulates calcium and phosphate homeostasis (Balance) it is most commonly known to support the health and growth of teeth, bone and muscle
Even pre-school children and babies are at risk of not recieving enough Vitamin D (unless 500ml of formula milk is consumed by babies daily- NHS.UK) your health advisor can advise as we know how important breast feeding is.
As you can appreciate supporting the healthy skeletal growth of a child requires maximal bone deposition. Therefore managing vitamin D status and calcium (Ca) not only supports growth and strength in childhood but support and maintenance across the lifespan, which clearly is important to minimise bone problems such as osteomalacia, osteopenia and osteoporosis as we age.👍
So around >1 in 5 of us are Vitamin D deficient according to National surveys in UK. Ok, we do get our share of dank, dark winter days right! however deficiencies are identified as being global and🌎 Gill et al, research reported that 22.7% of the sample size tested in Australia (Adelaide) had Vitamin D deficiencies............... and who would have thought that, considering their plentiful blue skies and sunshine?
Fortunately, vitamin D is also available from the diet or supplementation, when there is an inadequate amount of UV exposure during the dark winter months with many hours spent indoors, covid lock downs, poor health, house bound, perhaps clothing coverage or sunscreens, are just some of the potential risks for low vitamin D status or deficiency, It is worth noting here the darker the skin the more natural protective pigmentation there is against UV absorption.
supplementation:
Talk to your health care practitioner Registered Nutritionist, Dietician, Pharmacist or Doctor.
The Department of Health & Social care recommend 10 micrograms (mcg) daily during the winter for age 4-adult
10mcg all year, if frail or housebound, in a care home type institution and clothing normally covers most of the body.
Vitamin D drops can be purchased from the pharmacy for the under 5years
In food:
Oily fish (Tuna and white fish is not an oily fish) salmon, sardines, white bait, mackerel.
Red meat (lean)
Liver (Caution, high vitamin A content)
Egg yolks
UV exposed mushrooms
Fortified foods (added to some foods, read the label)
In sunshine:
Dependant on the sun exposure such as the time of day, where exposed and skin pigmentation etc this will vary but an outline guide is considered a few minutes exposure 2 x weekly. Made beneath the skin in response to sunlight and stored in our fat cells.
There is a compromise of calcium and phosphorus absorption, if an inadequate balance of nutrients. Therefore consider Chief Nutritionist Public Health England advice 2020 to take a daily Vit D supplementation
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