NHS recommends Vitamin D

NHS Vitamin D Advice

The Department of Health have outlined who they feel is most at risk of Vitamin D deficiency:

■All pregnant and breastfeeding women, especially teenagers and young women are particularly at risk of vitamin D deficiency.
■Young children under 5 years of age.
■All people aged 65 years and over.
■People who are not exposed to much sun, for example those who cover their skin for cultural reasons, who are housebound or confined indoors for long periods.
■People from ethnic minorities who have darker skin, because their bodies are less able to produce as much vitamin D. Clinical deficiency has been most reported among children of African-Caribbean and South Asian origin.

And here you were thinking you weren't represented by government. Essentially most people are susceptible to a degree, especially during the short winter days to not getting enough sunlight and not getting enough Vitamin D via food.

In a study by the Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics and Nutritional Science at the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine it showed that "vitamin D deficiency was associated with low mood and with impairment on two of four measures of cognitive performance". (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17138809?dopt=AbstractPlus)

With all this talk about Vitamin D in the press, is it possible the media and marketing departments are overdoing it? Is it possible to overdose on vitamin D especially considering the comparatively high dosages of D3 as cholecalciferol being suggested?

Well the Vitamin D council (who may, or may not have their own agenda to consider) state "This high rate of natural production of vitamin D3 cholecalciferol (pronounced koh·luh·kal·sif·uh·rawl) in the skin is the single most important fact every person should know about vitamin D—a fact that has profound implications for the natural human condition." Going on further to say that Caucasian skin can produce 10,000iu of vitamin D between 20-30 minutes of summer sun exposure.

Not having personally suffered this winter (at least not in a sense that can be attributed to a lack of Vitamin D) I can't comment on its effectiveness. However anecdotal feedback suggests impressive results, and ultimately the effectiveness will be proved when this media bubble pops and sales continue strong into Winter next year.

Healthy Origins D3 5000iu 360 Softgels

Links mentioned:

NHS PDF - www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/documents/digitalasset/dh_111302.pdf

DoM Study - www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17138809?dopt=AbstractPlus

Vitamin D Council - www.vitamindcouncil.org/