Avoiding Vitamin D Deficiency

Vitamin D is a crucial nutrient for aiding in the maintenance of strong, healthy bones due, in part, to its function of helping the body to better absorb calcium. Vitamin D has also been proven to be particularly important for women who are pregnant, with sufficient intake levels of the vitamin being associated with a reduction in the number of underweight infants and premature births.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning that the body can store it long-term. However, it is estimated that more than half of Britain's population is deficient in the vitamin.

The main problem is that people do not obtain most Vitamin D from dietary sources, but rather, the epidermis produces about 90% of it with the help of adequate exposure to sunlight.

In winter months, and in locations which are often overcast, we get less exposure to sunlight and the sun tends not to be less strong.

Getting enough Vitamin D through diet alone is difficult, but essential when exposure to sunlight is limited. Excellent sources of Vitamin D are oily fish (e.g. mackerel, trout, and tuna) liver, mushrooms, and dairy products.

Black and Asian people do not manufacture Vitamin D as readily as Caucasians, as their natural pigmentation blocks out much of the UV light needed.

Physicians recommend 2 or 3 periods of direct exposure to sunlight per week throughout the summer months. This may help the body to make enough Vitamin D to last throughout the winter months.