Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones, teeth and muscles and the NHS advises all people should take a daily boost of the ‘sunshine vitamin’ during the darker and colder months
02:00, 06 Jan 2026Updated 07:18, 06 Jan 2026
Some people call vitamin D the sunshine vitamin(Image: Getty)
Vitamin D is vital for good health, working to regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. The nutrients are needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy and a lack of the vitamin can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children, and bone pain caused by a condition called osteomalacia in adults.
Experts ranging from the late Dr Michael Mosley to the NHS say most people struggle to get enough of the essential nutrient during the colder weather and darker nights. Current government advice is that everyone should consider taking a daily vitamin D supplement during the autumn and winter.
It is thought that about one in six people currently take a daily dose of the nutrient known as the “sunshine vitamin”. And the NHS advises more people should be taking it with those at risk of not getting enough including all children aged one to four, and all babies unless they’re having more than 500ml of infant formula a day.
Babies should have a supplement unless they are having more than 500ml of formula a day(Image: Getty)
It says: “From about late March or early April to the end of September, most people should be able to make all the vitamin D they need from sunlight. The body creates vitamin D from direct sunlight on the skin when outdoors.
“But between October and early March we do not make enough vitamin D from sunlight.” People can get vitamin D from some foods including:
oily fish – such as salmon, sardines, trout, herring or mackerelred meategg yolksfortified foods – such as some fat spreads and breakfast cerealsliver (avoid liver if you’re pregnant)How much vitamin D is needed?
Children from the age of 1 year and adults need 10 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin D a day. This includes pregnant and breastfeeding women, and people at risk of vitamin D deficiency. Babies up to the age of 1 year need 8.5 to 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day.
It is needed for healthy teeth and bones(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
A microgram (mcg) is 1,000 times smaller than a milligram (mg). The word microgram is sometimes written with the Greek symbol μ followed by the letter g (μg).
Sometimes the amount of vitamin D is expressed as International Units (IU). 1 microgram of vitamin D is equal to 40 IU. So 10 micrograms of vitamin D is equal to 400 IU.
People at risk of vitamin D deficiency
Some people will not make enough vitamin D from sunlight because they have 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:
are not often outdoors – for example, if they’re frail or houseboundare in an institution like a care homeusually wear clothes that cover up most of their skin when outdoors
If you have dark skin – for example you have an African, African-Caribbean or south Asian background – you may also not make enough vitamin D from sunlight. You should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D throughout the year.
Can I take too much vitamin D?
The NHS advises: “Taking too many vitamin D supplements over a long period of time can cause too much calcium to build up in the body (hypercalcaemia). This can weaken the bones and damage the kidneys and the heart.
“If you choose to take vitamin D supplements, 10 micrograms a day will be enough for most people. Do not take more than 100 micrograms (4,000 IU) of vitamin D a day as it could be harmful. This applies to adults, including pregnant and breastfeeding women and the elderly, and children aged 11 to 17 years.
“Children aged 1 to 10 years should not have more than 50 micrograms (2,000 IU) a day. Infants under 12 months should not have more than 25 micrograms (1,000 IU) a day.
“Some people have medical conditions that mean they may not be able to safely take as much. If in doubt, you should consult your doctor.
I”f your doctor has recommended you take a different amount of vitamin D, you should follow their advice. You cannot overdose on vitamin D through exposure to sunlight. But always remember to cover up or protect your skin if you’re out in the sun for long periods to reduce the risk of skin damage and skin cancer.”