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It is suggested that 1 in 6 Britons will be severely deficient in vitamin D, otherwise known as ‘the sunshine vitamin’.
This doesn’t include the vast majority of people who will have low or insufficient levels of the vitamin after a long period of time with very little sun, during the winter.
Most of your vitamin D supply is made in the body through direct exposure to sunlight, which is why it can be challenging to maintain sufficient levels during the colder months.
Sunny Image Credit: Amchara Gozo. For all your Vitamin D needs. There are, on average, 300 sunny days per year in Malta [*]
What is vitamin D?
Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that comes in two main forms, vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol).
UVB rays from natural sunlight help to increase the levels of D3 in the body, and a Caucasian person’s body creates 20,000 IU of vitamin D by sunbathing for 20 minutes.
Caucasians whose skin has less melanin (pigment) synthesise vitamin D six times more quickly than darker skinned people.
Vitamin D is not actually a vitamin – it acts as a steroid hormone and is created in the body from cholesterol.
The vitamin D3 is carried to the liver and kidneys where an enzyme converts it to an active form.
This enzyme is also found in other parts of the body including the brain, skin, colon and more, indicating that you need vitamin D throughout the body to aid a variety of functions.
Vitamin D only lasts in the liver for three weeks, meaning that it needs to be replenished frequently.
What do you need vitamin D for?
Vitamin D is required for normal bone mineralisation and growth, the maintenance of muscle strength and coordination, overall cardiovascular health and balanced immune function.
The role of vitamin D in the body
Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins for the body and plays a vital role in many functions of the body.
It is effective in helping to prevent prostate cancer, breast cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, obesity and depression.
Vitamin D also helps the body to absorb calcium and phosphate from food which is one of the reasons it has an important role in bone health.
People who have inadequate levels of vitamin D in the body have been shown to be more closely linked to obesity. The results of studies show those who are overweight seem to be less able to convert vitamin D to the active form, meaning that the vitamin D isn’t able to carry out its functions effectively in the body.
Studies also show a strong link between vitamin D deficiency and cancer. Studies in both animals and humans have shown that having enough vitamin D in the body helps the body to prevent and fight cancer more effectively.
Vitamin D stops the growth of new blood vessels and has anti-inflammatory effects, and it activates special genes in the body that kill off bad cells, all of which help the body with fighting and preventing cancer.
As you get older, your skin is less able to convert sunlight into vitamin D, so deficiency is increasingly likely as you age.
How do you get vitamin D?
Vitamin D is created naturally by the body when your skin is exposed to sunlight.
It is almost impossible to get the vitamin D that your body needs for all its functions solely from nutrition, so it is essential to be exposed to sunlight to allow your body to generate vitamin D.
The light from the sun that you need can’t penetrate glass, and so you won’t get enough by being at home or in the car – you need to be exposed to the sun’s rays penetrating your skin directly to be able to benefit from it.
The further away from the equator you live, the more sunlight exposure you need, to allow your body to generate adequate levels of vitamin D.
Certain foods are rich in vitamin D, including fatty fish like salmon and tuna, eggs, meat and mushrooms.
Many foods are also now available that are fortified with vitamin D.
However, no food source of vitamin D is anywhere near as good for getting adequate vitamin D levels as the levels created by the body from natural sunlight exposure.
At our health retreat in Gozo, the sister island of Malta we are bathed in sunshine for 10 months of the year.
What are the signs of a vitamin D deficiency?
- Slow or abnormal bone growth in children
- Muscle weakness and aches
- Frequent and recurring colds, respiratory tract infections and flu
- General lethargy, tiredness
- Insomnia, nervousness
- Burning in the mouth or throat
- Frequent bone breaks or fractures
Due to vitamin D’s role in calcium absorption, bone strength and quality can also be a sign of vitamin D status, which can be checked by your doctor.
How much vitamin D should you be getting?
The recommended dose of vitamin D per day is 10ug for adults and children, and 5ug pregnant and lactating women.
This equates to around 15-20 mins or direct sunshine per day.
It can be toxic at high levels when ingested as an exogenous source, the upper limit being 50ug.
What foods contain vitamin D?
Although sunlight is the best source for our bodies to produce vitamin D endogenously, there are a few foods that contain vitamin D:
- fatty fish like sardines and salmon
- egg yolk
- liver and butter
Vegans are often advised to supplement with vitamin if they lack exposure to sunlight.
Things to consider when taking a vitamin D supplement:
- Vitamin D is fat-soluble, so it is absorbed better when eaten in combination with fat. For example, taking your capsule with a spoon of coconut oil.
- Always choose the D3 version of vitamin D as it is more readily absorbed by the body.
- Anyone with known liver or kidney disease will experience a marked reduction in the ability to absorb vitamin D.
Who is at risk of developing a deficiency?
Some people are generally more at risk of developing a vitamin D deficiency:
- The elderly, as they are typically less likely and able to get outside in the sunlight.
- Populations with dark skin – the darker the pigment of the skin, the less effective the synthesis of vitamin D.
- People who tend to wear more clothes and are covered up, preventing them from exposure to sunlight.
- People who follow a very high animal protein intake diet, which can lead to issues of clearance and formation of the vitamin.
Takeaway
Vitamin D is so crucial to the functioning of cells that any deficiency will affect every part of the body. Since vitamin D deficiency is so widespread, it’s a good idea to have your levels checked.
Because vitamins and minerals do not act in isolation in the body, a consultation with an Amchara Personalised Health Practitioner will assess your complete nutritional status, including vitamin D.
Our new pinprick blood test can accurately reveal your vitamin D status in just 15 minutes. This enables a personalised dose of supplemental vitamin D to be recommended when appropriate, according to your individual requirements.
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