Health bosses have outlined just who should be taking this additional daily supplement and how much of it
NHS experts say people should take one health supplement daily(Image: Getty)
People in the UK should be taking one particular health supplement every day, according to the NHS. This is to help keep your bones and muscles healthy.
The reminder was shared on social media as the health experts urged everyone to consider taking a daily Vitamin D supplement between October and March. During the autumn and winter, you need to get vitamin D from your diet because the sun is not strong enough for the body to make it.
But since it’s difficult for people to get enough vitamin D from food alone, the NHS said everyone (including pregnant and breastfeeding women) should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D during the autumn and winter. Some people have medical conditions which mean they may not be able to safely take as much – if in doubt, you should consult your doctor. This comes as ChronicleLive reported how a new finger prick blood test could help “revolutionise” the diagnosis of dementia.
Regarding the latest advice, between late March or early April to the end of September, most people can make all the vitamin D they need through sunlight on their skin and from a balanced diet. Vitamin D helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body.
These nutrients are needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy. A lack of vitamin D can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children, and bone pain caused by a condition called osteomalacia in adults, reports the Liverpool Echo.
NHS advice states people at high risk of not getting enough vitamin D, all children aged one to four, and all babies (unless they’re having more than 500ml of infant formula a day) should take a daily supplement throughout the year. The Department of Health and Social Care recommends that adults and children over four 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
The NHS also said 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 and should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D throughout the year. The Department of Health and Social Care recommends that babies from birth to one year of age should have a daily supplement containing 8.5 to 10 micrograms of vitamin D throughout the year if they are:
breastfedformula-fed and are having less than 500ml (about a pint) of infant formula a day, as infant formula is already fortified with vitamin D
Children aged one to four years old should be given a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D throughout the year. You can buy vitamin D supplements or vitamin drops containing vitamin D (for under 5s) at most pharmacies and supermarkets.
Women and children who qualify for the Healthy Start scheme can get free supplements containing vitamin D. Here are more details about Healthy Start, who is eligible for the scheme and what you can get.