While we should get most of the nutrients we need from a healthy, balanced diet, that’s not always possible for some people. However, some doctors advise that we should all take vitamin D every day.
Your body needs a cocktail of vitamins and minerals to function properly.
A good diet usually helps but not everyone has access to the right foods, and we get vitamins particularly from sunlight, which can be hard to come by in the UK, so one doctor has advised that we should all take a daily vitamin D supplement.
Dr Deborah Lee, MD, of Dr Fox Online Pharmacy, said: “One supplement I highly recommend taking daily is Vitamin D. It’s one of the most important vitamins for the human body.”
According to the Express, she warns that many Brits may be skimping on their vitamin D without even realising. “We are already known to have low vitamin D levels as a population,” she points out. A recent study looking at the dreary months of January to March 2024 (before the typically awful summer begins) found that a staggering 57% of people had vitamin D levels below normal (75-100 nmol/L). And, to be honest, things haven’t really gotten much brighter since then.
Dr. Lee stresses that this vitamin is not just nice to have, but extremely important. “Don’t let your body get too low on vitamin D,” she urges. “Vitamin D has a lot of essential functions in humans.” She warns that not getting enough can put you at risk: low vitamin D levels can increase your chances of developing diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and even cancer.
“Low levels of vitamin D have been associated with high blood pressure, heart failure and type 2 diabetes,” she said. “Low levels of vitamin D have also been associated with prostate cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer and multiple myeloma.”
She revealed that it has many other health benefits too.
- Bone Health – Healthy, strong bones require calcium and phosphorus absorption from the intestine. Too little calcium absorption from the intestine can lead to weak bones and increased susceptibility to fractures – osteopenia and osteoporosis.
- Immune response – Vitamin D plays a key role in regulating the immune response. Vitamin D deficiency can make you more susceptible to infections and autoimmune diseases.
- Muscle Function – Vitamin D is necessary for muscle building and repair after exercise
- Mental Health – Vitamin D levels are linked to mood. Low vitamin D levels can lead to low mood and anxiety. Vitamin D is involved in the production of serotonin, the happy hormone.
Currently the NHS recommends taking vitamin D in the winter months, between October and March, but Dr Lee said: “But there are also reasons to take it all year round – your body needs the right ingredients to function optimally, so you shouldn’t wait until something goes wrong before making changes.”
“Vitamin D is a really important vitamin. Many in the UK population have low vitamin D levels, the benefits of vitamin D supplements are clear and vitamin D supplements are generally safe. I would encourage everyone reading this article to take a vitamin D supplement every day, all year round.”
To boost your dietary vitamin D levels, try eating more oily fish, red meat, liver eggs, mushrooms and fortified spreads and cereals. The NHS recommends that UK adults get 10mcg (400IU) of vitamin D per day in winter.
