Health experts recommend taking vitamin D supplements during the winter but there are some things to be mindful of
A warning has been issued over Vitamin D supplements (Image: Getty)
A doctor has issued a warning to people who take vitamin D tablets. Dr Zoe Williams appeared on ITV show This Morning and told viewers they could be inadvertently causing themselves harm.
Speaking to ITV presenters Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard, she said: “There are certain vitamins that we don’t pee out if we take too much, they’re stored in the fat, so vitamins A, D, E, and K. These can build up in your system.
“So when it comes to vitamin D, we should all be taking vitamin D in the winter months, but 10 micrograms is what the NHS recommends. Some people may choose to take higher levels than that but if you’re taking 10 times that or more it can become toxic.” This comes as another doctor recently explained whether popular supplements are actually effective, as reported by ChronicleLive.
Dr Williams continued, warning that at excessive doses, the vitamin causes the body to hold on to calcium, potentially leading to calcium deposits forming in the blood, kidneys and heart. She added: “That can make you feel unwell. So [yes] you can take too much.
“So I often say there are 3 categories. People who need supplements, people who benefit from taking it as insurance and people who are taking it to harmful levels. So just be careful.”
Vitamin D plays a crucial role in regulating calcium and phosphate levels within the body. These essential nutrients help maintain healthy bones, teeth and muscles, reports the Daily Record.
A deficiency can lead to bone deformities including rickets in children, whilst adults may experience bone pain from a condition known as osteomalacia. Government guidance recommends that everyone should think about taking a daily vitamin D supplement throughout autumn and winter.
Those at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency, all children between the ages of 1 and 4, and all babies (except those consuming more than 500ml of infant formula daily) should take a daily supplement all year round. More information can be found on the NHS website here.
How to get vitamin D
According to the NHS, 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. Vitamin D is also found in a small number of foods. Sources include:
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)