Considering taking vitamin D supplements, but want to know more? Heard that vitamin D is good for you, but want to know why? You’re in the right place. If you’ve always wanted to know what is vitamin D good for exactly, you’re in the right place. Let’s take a look at everything you need to know.
Vitamin D is a nutrient that’s required to help keep the body healthy – it’s crucial to many aspects of our health. Vitamin D helps to regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate your body absorbs. Although predominantly known for its role in bone health, vitamin D is also key to the health of the immune system. What’s more, vitamin D contributes to keeping teeth and muscles healthy.
So, what is vitamin D good for? Vitamin D is a particularly important vitamin when it comes to bone health. A lack of vitamin D can lead to a disorder called osteomalacia, which can cause bone pain and muscle weakness in adults. In children, a vitamin D deficiency can lead to rickets, a disease where bones become soft, painful, deformed, and weak.
The form of vitamin D that is found in foods is inactive (vitamin D2) and needs to be converted into its active form (vitamin D3). As vitamin D is found in very few foods, vitamin D deficiency is a widespread problem. In fact, the UK government recommendation is that everyone in the UK takes a vitamin D supplement during the winter months. For those that are considered in an ‘at risk group’ (those from ethnic origin, the elderly, those who are pregnant, and young children), it is recommended to take vitamin D supplements all year round. Read more about the recommended vitamins for pregnancy.
However, the UK has a high rate of vitamin D deficiency – it’s estimated that 50-70% of the UK population are vitamin D deficient. This is largely due to the low levels of sunshine in the UK, as the active form of vitamin D (D3) is synthesised in the skin on exposure to UV rays. People with darker skin tones are believed to be more at risk of deficiency, since vitamin D is not as easily synthesised in the skin.
The NHS recommends that the daily dose of vitamin D is 10 micrograms for most people, but some people’s individual needs will differ. It’s always best to check with your GP before taking any new vitamin supplements or changing your diet, as they’ll be able to provide the best advice for your specific needs.
Some people will not get enough vitamin D throughout their lifetimes for a varying amount of reasons. People who lack sunshine exposure regularly, such as those who work inside for long hours throughout the day, are in institutions such as care homes, or simply wear clothes that cover the majority of their skin when outdoors tend to be deficient. Vitamin D is crucial for the body to digest, as it can help to prevent any bone, teeth, and muscular problems as you get older. But what are the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency?
Vitamin D deficiency symptoms can include:
When it comes to how to get vitamin D to support your health and wellbeing, throughout the summer months, from about April to September, our bodies are exposed to more sunlight, so most people should be able to get all the vitamin D that they need.
However, if you’re someone that doesn’t get enough exposure from sunlight, you will need to consider different ways to get vitamin D into your diet.
Vitamin D can be found in foods including:
If you feel you’re not eating these foods enough or regularly, you might want to consider taking vitamin D3 supplements instead.
The best vitamin D supplement will be a vitamin D3 supplement, containing the active form of vitamin D. You also want to make sure you’re choosing a vitamin D supplement that will deliver maximum nutrients – Nutrivitality’s liposomal vitamins are designed with this in mind.
Our liposomal vitamin D3 supplements contain liposomes to ensure important nutrients are protected on their journey through your digestive system. This means you’ll be benefiting from maximum vitamin absorption – much more than you’ll get from traditional pill-based vitamin D.
Our Nutrivitality vitamin D3 supplements are also vegan and vegetarian-friendly, so you can experience the benefits of vitamin D without compromising your values, which can be especially helpful if you don’t consume fish.
Support your bone health, muscle function, and immune system with liposomal vitamin D3 from Nutrivitality. Explore our full range of liquid vitamin supplements today.