Vitamin D3

Public Health England has recently said that we should all be taking Vitamin D supplements, especially at certain times of the year, in a departure from previous recommendations.
Vitamin D is known to be essential for bone health.  According to the British Association of Dermatologists, low levels are linked to bone disorders such as rickets in children, and osteoporosis in adults.  The human body can produce its own Vitamin D, but it does this by exposure of the skin to direct sunlight.  This is, of course, contrary to advice that I and other skin doctors give of protecting the skin (by way of sun cream, shade & clothing) from direct exposure. Furthermore, whilst the body can produce up to 25,000 units daily through sun exposure, there are numerous variables, such as skin type, time of year, time of day, and of course amount of skin exposed and for how long. It is therefore extremely difficult to know that we are making adequate Vitamin D from the skin.

A normal healthy diet will not give the body much of the recommended 10,000 units per day of Vitamin D, unless one is prepared to eat up on  10 egg yolks, or eat 3  tin’s of tuna fish ! Hence Vitamin D supplements are now being routinely advised, especially during the autumn and winter months when sun exposure is at its lowest.  There are different types of Vitamin D, but look for a supplement containing Vitamin D3, the type produced by the body itself, so the easiest to absorb.
Solgar or Biocare are both good brands available at your local health store.