The Sunshine Vitamin - do you take enough?

Many people don't rush to check their vitamin levels in the winter, unless we maybe thing of Vitamin C because there are more colds around and most of us eat less fresh fruit and veg in the winter.

Vitamin D is often overlooked, yet studies who that many of us are deficient, and even those who are at the "bottom end of normal" may benefit from supplementation. It's a vitamin we can't make and either need to acquire from our diet or from sunshine, and in the winter our sun is so weak it's not going to provide the vitamin D we need.

So what symptoms are associated with Vitamin D deficiency?

  • Depression

  • Bone Pain / Low Back Pain

  • Getting sick over and over

  • Poor healing from wounds or infections

  • Fatigue and low energy levels

  • Osteopania / Osteoporosis

  • Hair loss

Whilst Vitamin D is not the first place I'd look for any of the above, vitamin D deficiency is becoming a fairly common problem in the UK, partly because our sun is quite weak in the northern hemisphere and even when the sun is out we tend to use sunscreen to block it out.

So what are the risk factors for Vitamin D deficiency?

  • Dark skin

  • Age - higher as we age

  • Being overweight or obese

  • Not eating much fish or dairy

  • Northern climes

  • Using sunscreen whenever outside

  • Staying indoors too much

How much is always the question and it's not one I can answer for you individually. Personally I take a fairly high dose and I combine it with Vitamin K2, as that helps with absorption. I take D3, because that is the active form of Vitamin D.

If you are concerned about your Vitamin D levels, my advice is to consult a Naturopath or Nutritional Therapist. Someone who can tailor the dose to your needs, your lifestyle and your health.

Rachael Talbot