Boost Your Vitamin D This Autumn!

I hope you had a lovely summer and managed to get away for a break or at least a few day trips out. 

Now that the summer holidays have come and gone, and the kids are going back to school, I cant help but look forward to wrapping up on the sofa with a blanket and a hot chocolate in the evening with the family. 

Now is also a great time to look at your health and the health of your family for the coming autumn and winter months.

Weather wise we have had a very mixed summer with some really hot and sunny spells and then rain, rain and, oh yes, more rain! But with the days now getting shorter and cooler we get exposed to even less sunlight and this is our biggest source of vitamin D!

How does it affect us?

A lack of vitamin D affects how our body functions. If you don't get enough vitamin D it can lead to muscle aches and pains, joint stiffness, tiredness and fatigue and it can affect your mood by making you feel a bit down or lacking in motivation. It can also affect how well our immune system functions. 

It is therefore really important to increase our vitamin D levels over the autumn and winter months to boost our immune system and our overall health. 

How can we get enough? 

The lack of sunlight during the next six months means it is more challenging to get enough vitamin D. Two other ways we can boost our vitamin D levels are:

• Supplements 
• Natural food sources

Supplements are an easy was to ensure we are getting 100% of our vitamin D requirements. They are commonly available in a one a day tablet and most multivitamins will also contain your daily requirements. Tablets are normally the cheapest option but gummies and chews are now also popular – just watch out for added sugar in these. 

It can be difficult to get enough vitamin D from diet alone but you can find food sources that are naturally high in it. Oily fish, such as salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel, are great as are red meat, Liver, mushrooms and eggs. However, it is more difficult if you are vegetarian or vegan.

The NICE Guidelines (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) recommend taking 10mg (400iu) on a daily basis through autumn and winter. They also advise that people whose skin has little to no exposure to sunlight and ethnic groups with dark skin should consider taking a vitamin D supplement all year round.

For more information on vitamin D and check out the Which? guide by clicking HERE