Vitamin D is an important nutrient that helps regulate the amount of phosphate and calcium in the body.
Your body needs phosphate and calcium to keep the bones, muscles and teeth healthy.
Low levels of vitamin D can lead to osteomalacia in adults and rickets in children.
In UK, it is found that millions of people have some degree of vitamin D deficiency and most of them do not expose their skin to the sunlight. Your body is known to secrete vitamin D naturally from the sunlight on the skin. This essential vitamin is also found in foods such as:
- Red meat
- Liver
- Egg yolks
- Oily fish – salmon, sardines, mackerel, tuna and herring
- Fortified foods – cereals and fat spreads
Vitamin D daily dose
Babies above one year need 8.5 to 10mcg of vitamin D on a daily basis.
Children above one year of age and adults require 10mcg of vitamin D on a daily basis. This also includes pregnant women and nursing mothers, and people at the risk of developing vitamin D deficiency.
The majority of people who are not exposed to sun at all must get vitamin D through supplements.
Do I need to use vitamin D supplement?
The health department of England recommends that babies below one year should not be given vitamin D supplements. In fact, they should be breastfed. You can use vitamin D drops to children between the age group of one and four, that too after seeking medical help.
During the autumn and winter, one should get vitamin D from diet because the sun is not strong enough to allow your body to make vitamin D. Since it is difficult to get sufficient amount of vitamin D through food alone, most people can meet the requirement by taking vitamin D (10mcg) supplement daily.
If you are at the risk of developing vitamin D deficiency, it is important to use a supplement after speaking to your GP. The health department officials recommend that you take 10mcg of daily supplement if you are not often outdoors to get some sunlight or wear clothes that cover up most of your skin when outdoors.
Remember, exceeding the vitamin D daily dose over a longer period of time can lead to hypercalcaemia i.e. too much of calcium build up in the body. This condition can weaken your bones and damage your kidneys and heart.
If your vitamin D levels are low, you can consider HealthAid Vitamin D Tablets after speaking to your GP. You can buy this effective vitamin D supplement through Pharmacy Outlet.
