Vitamin D Awareness Week (October 24th-30th)

This is Vitamin D Awareness Week and we are asking…

‘Are you Vitamin D aware?’

Vitamin D hits the headlines again as Public Health England are recommending that everyone should supplement with Vitamin D during the Autumn and Winter months, amid the concern that millions of Brits are deficient in this vital Vitamin, crucial to so many functions. Not only is it essential to help maintain a strong immune system, we also need it to support our mood and it is critical for healthy bones and teeth.

So why does the UK’s population have such low levels of Vitamin D, also known as the ‘sunshine vitamin’. Well the clue is in the name! 90% of our essential Vitamin D must come from our skin’s exposure to the sun but the UVB rays are only strong enough for us to naturally synthesise this vitamin for 6 months of the year. And even then, the use of sun cream, spending large amounts of time indoors and poor British summers make it hard for us to achieve optimal levels. During the months of October to May in the UK, the sun’s UVB rays aren’t strong enough for the skin to synthesise into Vitamin D, even on a cloudless day and with only 10 percent of the Vitamin D we need being available through the diet, it is highly advisable for everyone to take a daily supplement throughout these months.

For people whose skin has little or no exposure to the sun, like those in care homes and for people with dark skin from African, Afro-Caribbean and South Asian backgrounds, the recommendation is for them to supplement all year round. Furthermore, children aged 1 to 4 should have a daily 10mcg Vitamin D supplement.

There are various ways you can obtain adequate Vitamin D levels. Call into Pastures New where you can even buy a Vitamin D tester kit and gain a wealth of information about the most suitable Vitamin D supplement for you and your family, be it capsules, chewable tablets or an oral spray, we are sure to have the form and the strength you require.

Lets all be Vitamin D aware this year!