How Do You Get Vitamin D During Winter?

Calcium and phosphate levels in the body are regulated with the help of vitamin D. These nutrients are necessary to maintain strong bones, teeth, and muscles. Lack of vitamin D can result in bone pain from osteomalacia in adults and bone abnormalities such as rickets in children. Everyone is advised by the government to think about taking a vitamin D supplement every day during the autumn and winter months. Keep reading to find out the best calcium and vitamin D sources.

All children aged one to four as well as all babies (unless they are consuming more than 500 ml of infant formula per day) need to take a daily supplement all year round if they are at significant risk of not getting sufficient vitamin D.

What are the best calcium and vitamin D sources?

Most people have the ability to produce all the vitamin D they require from sunlight between late March and early April to around the end of September.

When outdoors, exposure to direct sunshine on the skin produces vitamin D in the body. But we do not produce sufficient vitamin D from sunlight between late October and early March.

Which food is rich in calcium and vitamin D?

A select few foods also contain vitamin D.

Sources include:

- Oily fish – like salmon, herring, sardines and mackerel
- Red meat
- Egg yolks
- Liver
- Fortified foods – like some breakfast cereals and fat spreads

Dietary supplements are yet another source of vitamin D. Cows' milk is not fortified in the UK like it is in a few other countries, hence it is typically not an excellent source of vitamin D.

Calcium

Every day, adults need 700 milligrams of calcium. By consuming a balanced and varied diet, you should have the ability to acquire all the calcium needed.

Healthy calcium sources include:

- Dairy foods like milk and cheese
- Green leafy vegetables, like broccoli, okra, and cabbage
- Tofu
- Fish where you eat the bones, like pilchards and sardines
- Plant-based drinks (like soya drink) with added calcium
- Nuts
- Soya beans
- Foods made with fortified flour like bread

Who is at risk of vitamin D deficiency?

Some people who receive little to no sunlight exposure will not produce sufficient vitamin D from sunlight.

The Department of Health and Social Care advises adults and children older than 4 to take a daily vitamin D supplement containing 10 micrograms all year long if they:

- Are not regularly outside, such as if they are elderly or housebound
- Are located at a facility like a care home
- Typically wear clothing that mostly conceals their skin when outside

You may not create enough vitamin D from sunshine if you have dark skin, such as if you are of African, African-Caribbean, or south Asian descent.

You should think about taking a daily supplement that consists of 10 milligrams of vitamin D all year round.

Calcium and vitamin D sources during winter

The reduction of sunlight as we go into the winter months decreases our bodies' vitamin D production and puts everyone in the UK at risk for good health. But how can we improve our levels of vitamin D during the winter to sustain our health till the sun comes out again?

We get almost all of our vitamin D from food during the winter unless we are taking supplements. The secret to increasing your vitamin D levels throughout the winter months, when it's most needed, is a blend of healthy lifestyle practices, such as adding vitamin D supplements alongside the right foods.

Shop online today at Chemist.net for the best vitamins or visit your nearest Knights Pharmacy branch.

 

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This blog post was written on behalf of Chemist.net by Pharmacy Mentor.

 

Updated November 2022