We need a number of different vitamins and minerals to allow our bodies to function to the best of their ability. Most of what we need we should be able to get from a healthy, balanced diet, although this is not always possible for some people.
And we get one vitamin in particular through exposure to sunlight – something that can be hard to come by in the UK.
Therefore, one doctor advised we should all be taking a vitamin D supplement daily.
Doctor Deborah Lee, from the Dr Fox Online Pharmacy, said: “The one supplement I would strongly recommend you should take every day is vitamin D.
“Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins for the human body.”
She warned that in the UK, many of us could currently be suffering from a lack of vitamin D.
“As a population, Brits are already known to have low vitamin D levels,” she explained.
“In a recent 2024 survey, which took place from January to March of this year (before the dreadful summer set in), 57 percent of participants had vitamin D levels lower than the recommended range (75-100 nmol/L). Things can hardly have improved since then.”
Dr Lee warned that the vitamin is essential for a number of health reasons.
“Don’t risk having too little vitamin D in your body,” she said. “Vitamin D has many essential functions in humans,”
According to Dr Lee, low vitamin D can raise your risk for a number of potentially deadly health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart failure and even cancer.
“Low vitamin D levels are linked to high blood pressure, heart failure and type 2 diabetes,” she said.
“Low vitamin D levels have been linked to cancer of the prostate, bowel, breast and multiple myeloma.”
She revealed a host of other health benefits:
- Bone health – Calcium and phosphorus absorption from the gut are needed for healthy, strong bones. If too little calcium is absorbed from the gut, this leads to weak, brittle bones that fracture easily – osteopenia and osteoporosis
- Immune response – Vitamin D plays a crucial role in regulating the immune response. A deficiency of vitamin D means you are more vulnerable to infection and autoimmune diseases
- Muscle function – Vitamin D is needed for muscle strength and repair after exercise
- Mental health – Vitamin D levels are linked to mood. Low levels are linked to low mood and anxiety. Vitamin D is involved in the production of the happy hormone, serotonin.
The current NHS recommendation is for us to take vitamin D in the winter months, October to March.
Dr Lee said: “However, there is a case for taking vitamin D all year round.
“Your body needs the correct ingredients to function optimally. You shouldn’t wait until something goes wrong to make changes.”
She continued: “Vitamin D is such an important vitamin, large numbers of the UK population have low levels of vitamin D, the benefits of vitamin D supplementation are clear, and vitamin D supplementation is generally safe, I would encourage anyone reading this to take a daily vitamin D supplement all year round.”
To boost your vitamin D levels through diet you can try eating more oily fish, red meat, liver eggs, mushrooms and fortified spreads and cereals.
The NHS recommends UK adults take 10 mcg (400 IU) of vitamin D per day in the winter months.