NHS says everyone in UK should take this vitamin in autumn and winter

As the days become shorter and the nights longer and with a cold spell coming, it's crucial to ensure we're getting enough of the nutrients our bodies need to stay healthy. This is where vitamin D comes into play, a supplement recommended by both the NHS and the government for everyone in the UK to take during the winter months.

Vitamin D plays several important roles, including supporting bones, teeth, and muscles. According to the NHS, a deficiency in vitamin D can lead to deformities such as rickets in children, and a condition called osteomalacia, which causes bone pain in adults.

Our primary source of vitamin D is sunlight. However, in Scotland and the rest of the UK, we only get enough of the right kind of sunlight for our bodies to produce vitamin D between April and September.

From October to March, we often have to rely on foods containing vitamin D, but it's usually challenging to get enough from diet alone. That's why the government advises that everyone should consider taking a daily vitamin D supplement during autumn and winter.

The NHS has said: "Everyone over the age of 1 year should have 10 micrograms (mcg or µg) or 400 international units (IU) of vitamin D per day (Public Health England, 2016). This includes pregnant and breastfeeding women and people at risk of low vitamin D.

"Only take a higher strength vitamin if you have been advised to do so by your doctor. Taking more than 10 to 12.5 micrograms (mcg or µg) or 400IU to 500IU per day is not necessary and high doses could be harmful in the long-term."

This advice is based on recommendations from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN), who provide independent advice to the government based on scientific evidence. According to Public Health Scotland, everyone, including children, should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms (10μg) of vitamin D.

Senior Dietitian Victoria Taylor from the British Heart Foundation has advised: "It's recommended that everyone take a supplement containing 10 micrograms (10 μg, equivalent to 400 IU) of vitamin D daily in autumn and winter."

She added, "More than this is not necessary, and is likely to be more expensive, but you can safely take up to 25 micrograms if that's the size you can find. Don't take very high doses of vitamin D, as if you do this over a long period of time, it can cause too much calcium to build up in the body, which can weaken the bones and damage the kidneys and heart."

The NHS suggests that from late March/early April to the end of September, most people should be able to get all the vitamin D they need from sunlight. They recommend that children from one year and adults, including pregnant and breastfeeding women and those at risk of deficiency, should have 10 micrograms of vitamin D per day.

Babies up to one year old require 8.5 to 10 micrograms daily. A microgram is 1,000 times smaller than a milligram (mg), and vitamin D levels are sometimes measured in International Units (IU), where 1 microgram equals 40 IU, making 10 micrograms equivalent to 400 IU.

Is it possible to get sufficient vitamin D from your diet?

Vitamin D is naturally present in oily fish, red meat, liver and egg yolks, and is added to certain foods such as breakfast cereals and fat spreads. The British Heart Foundation states that a 140g piece of baked salmon contains 10.2 micrograms, a bowl of fortified bran flakes has 1.5 micrograms and an egg has 1.9 micrograms.

According to the NHS, vitamin D is found in: In the UK, cows' milk is generally not a good source of vitamin D because it is not fortified, as it is in some other countries. Who should consider taking a vitamin D supplement?

Advice for adults and children over 4 years old: Everyone (including pregnant and breastfeeding women) should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D during the autumn and winter.

Advice for those at risk of vitamin D deficiency: Some individuals will not produce enough vitamin D from sunlight due to very little or no sunshine exposure. The Department of Health and Social Care recommends that adults and children over 4 take a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D throughout the year if they: If you have dark skin – for example, if you are of African, African-Caribbean or south Asian descent – you may also not produce enough vitamin D from sunlight.

You should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D throughout the year. Advice for infants and young children.

The Department of Health and Social Care advises that babies from birth to 1 year old should take a daily supplement containing 8.5 to 10 micrograms of vitamin D throughout the year. Children aged 1 to 4 years old should also be given a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D all year round.

Vitamin D supplements or vitamin drops for under 5s can be purchased at most pharmacies and supermarkets. The recommendations for vitamin D are primarily for maintaining healthy bones and muscles, as there is insufficient evidence to draw conclusions about its effects on other diseases, such as heart and circulatory diseases, or coronavirus risk.

A 2015 Scottish study, part-funded by the BHF, found that while low levels of vitamin D are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, this is due to lifestyle factors that increase your risk of heart disease and stroke, rather than being a direct cause. It's important to note that taking excessive amounts of vitamin D supplements over a long period can lead to hypercalcaemia, a condition where too much calcium builds up in the body, potentially weakening the bones and damaging the kidneys and heart.

Therefore, it's recommended to consult with your GP if you have any questions.