Are you getting enough Vitamin D?

22 July 2016

The British public has recently been warned by health officials that due to the poor weather conditions many people may be suffering from a lack of Vitamin D. There are very few foods that actually have therapeutic levels of vitamin D naturally and even fortified foods do not contain enough vitamin D to support your health needs.

Despite its name, vitamin D is not a regular vitamin. It's actually a steroid hormone that you are designed to obtain primarily through sun exposure, not via your diet. During Autumn and Winter it is especially important that we ensure we are all getting the recommended daily dosage of Vitamin D in order to stay healthy.

What are the symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency?

A lack of Vitamin D can cause you to feel ‘blue’. Serotonin, the brain hormone associated with mood elevation, rises and falls dependent on the amount of sunlight you are exposed to.  In 2006, scientists evaluated the effects of vitamin D on the mental health of 80 elderly patients and found that those with the lowest levels of vitamin D were 11 times more prone to be depressed than those who received healthy doses.

Vitamin D is produced in the body when then skin is exposed to sunlight. It is essential in the absorption of Calcium. Vitamin D deficiency can result in bone malformation in children and conditions such as rickets and osteomalacia in adults.

Of course the only way to know for sure that you have a Vitamin D deficiency is to have your blood tested.

How can Centennial Medical Care help?

Leading Vitamin D specialist, Dr Benjamin Jacobs, is a consultant Paediatrician available to CMC patients.