10 April 2017
What a fantastic week of warm weather and sunshine it’s been. A typical British summer! With the warm weather comes the migration to outdoor sports, activities and simply sitting and relaxing. Everyone feels better when the sun is shining and let’s not forget that exposure to direct sunlight is the only way our bodies can synthesise vitamin D.
Vitamin D helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body, these nutrients are needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy, which is often considered its primary function. Other roles of vitamin D include modulation of cell growth, neuromuscular and immune function, and reduction of inflammation.
As vitamin D is naturally present in very few foods, we need exposure to sunlight in order manufacture our own supplies. From around the end of March to the end of September the sun should be strong enough (in Britain) for us to provide all of our vitamin D requirement in this way. In order to achieve this though it is necessary to have the sun on your skin, so being covered all the time or the constant use of high factor sun screens may reduce the amount of vitamin D our bodies are producing. Sun safety is extremely important and you should never allow yourself to burn, but a short time (15 mins depending on sun intensity) to absorb the rays without hindrance could provide benefits.
Dietary sources of vitamin D top you up include:
• oily fish – such as salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel and fresh tuna
• red meat
• liver
• egg yolks
Fortified foods, such as fat spreads and some breakfast cereals contain vitamin D (having been added) and dietary supplements can be used to keep levels up during the dark months.