Why Do We Need Vitamin D?
The body requires vitamin D to absorb calcium and make bones grow. Lack of vitamin D can cause soft, misshapen bones in children (rickets) and in adults (osteomalacia). Other important body functions require vitamin D as well.
There is increasing evidence linking low vitamin D levels to cancers including breast, colon, prostate. Alongside this, there have been links to heart disease, depression, and obesity.
Several studies have shown that people with higher levels of vitamin D have lower disease risks, though they don’t prove that vitamin D deficiency causes disease or that taking vitamin D supplements could reduce disease risk.
How Much Vitamin D Do We Need?
| Age | Need(μg) |
| Baby (Under 1) | 8.5-10 |
| Child (Over 1) | 10 |
| Adult | 10 |
How Do You Get Enough Vitamin D?
It is recommended that you get at least 30 minutes of sun exposure at least twice a week. This exposure needs to be without sun cream. However, you need to do this carefully as too much exposure may lead to potentially dangerous levels of cancer-causing UV radiation.
Who Should Take Vitamin D Supplements?
As the sun doesn’t produce enough vitamin D for the body to make, you need to obtain vitamin D from dietary sources in autumn and winter. It may be challenging for people to get enough vitamin D from food alone, so everyone (including pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers) should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D during the autumn and winter. Sunlight on the skin and a balanced diet are the best ways to get enough vitamin D between late March/early April and the end of September. However, you may opt-out of taking a vitamin D supplement during these months.
What Are The Risk Factors Of Vitamin D Deficiency?
Being mildly deficient in vitamin D means that you may not be able to benefit from the above qualities. However, severe deficiencies over a long period of time is associated with major health risks. These include bone and muscle pain and skeletal weakness and malformations. Vitamin D deficiency is also a risk factor of osteoporosis which leads to bone fragility and breaks. Vitamin D status may be easily determined through a blood test, and a doctor or dietician can then recommend whether it needs to be supplemented.
