Vitamin D, often called the \u201csunshine vitamin\u201d<\/a> because it is made by the body using sunlight<\/a>, is found in food such as oily fish, red meat, and egg yolks. <\/p>\n It helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. These nutrients are needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy.<\/p>\n However, due to a lack of daylight hours<\/a> in UK winters, around one in six people in the UK have vitamin D levels <\/a>below government recommendations.<\/p>\n The NHS posted on X: “From October to March we can’t make enough vitamin D from sunlight, so to keep bones and muscles healthy, it’s best to take a daily 10 microgram supplement of vitamin D. You can get vitamin D from most pharmacies and retailers.”<\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n Vitamin D is often called the \u2018sunshine vitamin\u2019 because it is made by the body using sunlight (Alamy\/PA)<\/p>\n Dr Kathryn Basford at Asda Online Doctor told The Independent: \u201cEveryone in the UK can benefit from taking vitamin D during the darker months, as although you can get some vitamin D from what you eat, it\u2019s difficult to get enough through diet alone. <\/p>\n \u201cA lack of vitamin D can lead to tiredness, bone or muscle pain, and recurrent infections, among other things.\u201d<\/p>\n So what do we need to know about the side effects of taking vitamin D?<\/p>\n Dr Basford said vitamin D is unlikely to cause any harm if taken as prescribed by your doctor. However, she added that side effects tend to happen when you take too much vitamin D. <\/p>\n \u201cTaking more than the recommended amount of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D, E, and K can cause them to build up in your body, leading to toxic effects,\u201d she said. \u201cToxicity is only a possibility when taking these vitamins as supplements, so getting these vitamins from the sun or your diet won\u2019t lead to this problem.\u201d<\/p>\n The most common side effects include: <\/p>\n HeadacheSkin reactions Stomach pain Increased calcium levelsNausea<\/p>\n \u201cIf you are experiencing any of these, it\u2019s important to talk to your doctor to make sure you are taking the right dose,\u201d she added. <\/p>\n Katherine Elyse Blake, a qualified nutritionist and women\u2019s health consultant, said the most common issues she sees are people taking high doses of vitamin D for long periods without monitoring, and \u201cassuming more is always better\u201d. <\/p>\n She told The Independent: \u201cVitamin D requirements vary significantly depending on factors such as sun exposure, skin tone, body weight, diet, age, and existing health conditions. A dose that is appropriate for one person may be excessive or unnecessary for another.<\/p>\n \u201cTiming and context matter too. Taking vitamin D very late in the day may interfere with sleep for some people, as it can influence melatonin production. It\u2019s often better tolerated when taken earlier in the day with a meal that contains fat.\u201d<\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n Health experts stress that vitamin D should be taken as prescribed by your doctor (PA Archive)<\/p>\n Incorrect use of vitamin D can also affect the skin. Dr Aiza Jamil, consultant dermatologist, said vitamin D has a \u201cdirect, biological role in skin structure and health\u201d. <\/p>\n She explained that the skin is the primary site of vitamin D synthesis, and the only organ capable of producing vitamin D in meaningful quantities without dietary input. <\/p>\n Dr Jamil said: \u201cVitamin D regulates keratinocyte differentiation and lipid production, which, when it is malabsorbed or incorrectly taken, can cause an impaired skin barrier, dryness, dermatitis, uneven skin tone, and skin texture changes, for example.\u201d <\/p>\n Should I take tablets, sprays or gummies?<\/p>\n There is no doubt that taking vitamin D supplements correctly is beneficial. So which form should you choose?<\/p>\n Dr Basford said: \u201cTablets are the most widely available option on the market, and are able to deliver higher doses of active ingredients. However, absorption is slower as tablets must be broken down in the stomach and digestive tract.<\/p>\n \u201cConversely, oral sprays can be much faster in absorption compared to tablets and capsules, as the nutrients are delivered directly into the bloodstream through the mouth. However, sprays may contain sugars or artificial flavours so always check the label and choose a reliable brand.<\/p>\n \u201cFinally, gummies are arguably the most pleasant to take, especially if you are uncomfortable with swallowing tablets. However, they can also contain added sugars and artificial sweeteners, and often have lower nutrient densities compared to tablets.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":260788,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[103,61,60,446],"class_list":{"0":"post-260787","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-ie","10":"tag-ireland","11":"tag-nutrition"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/260787","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=260787"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/260787\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/260788"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=260787"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=260787"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=260787"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Vitamin](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/25123823-9ba0bb2f-c75a-4362-993f-516fefbf87ea.jpg\")
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