Vitamin D Supplement

With a Vitamin D supplement the amount of calcium and phosphate in your body will be regulated. With this your bones, teeth and muscles will be healthy. A lack of this supplement can lead children’s bones to become weak and soft making them very fragile. In adults, the bones will hurt because not enough vitamin D is present in your diet.

Some Ways to get your Vitamin

The best way to get your dose of Vitamin D is to get some sun, since the body creates vitamin D directly from the sunlight on the skin. Some areas of the country do not have strong sun during certain times of the year. This is when a Vitamin D supplement should be taken to help your body function properly.

vitamin d supplement image of a big D vitamin on an orange pill in orange with supplements all around it

Get your vitamin D from some foods such as:

  • red meat
  • liver
  • fortified foods – such as some fat spreads and breakfast cereals
  • oily fish – like salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel
  • egg yolk

Or find yourself a vitamin D supplement at your local pharmacy or health store.

Who should take a vitamin D supplement?

Infants and young children

The recommendations of the Department of Health and Social Care state that:

  • babies that are breast-fed birth to 1 yr. should have a daily supplement between 8.5 to 10 micrograms of vitamin D.
  • formula-fed babies do not need a vitamin D supplement until they drink about a pint of infant formula a day. Since the formula contains vitamin D.
  • children 1 to 4 years old should get a daily supplement of 10 micrograms of vitamin D.

Adults and children over 4 years old

During the time when the sun is not strong enough, you should get your vitamin D from your food. But we all know that getting it from food is really hard, everyone even pregnant and breastfeeding women should take a daily dose of vitamin D supplement that contains 10 micrograms.

You are at risk of vitamin D deficiency

If you are one of these persons, who are at risk of vitamin D deficiency, then the recommendation from the Department of Health and Social Care is that you take a daily supplement of 10 micrograms of vitamin D all year.

  • you tend to wear long sleeve and pants when outdoors
  • you are in a care home – mostly inside
  • not outdoors often – housebound or frail

Also if you have dark skin you may not get enough vitamin D from sunlight. Consider taking a daily dose of vitamin D supplement with 10 micrograms all year.

The amount of vitamin D is expressed as International Units (IU). 1 microgram of vitamin D is equal to 40 IU. So 10 micrograms of vitamin D is equal to 400 IU.

Do not take too much vitamin D

If you take too many vitamin D supplements for a long time, it will cause too much calcium build up in the body. This will weaken the bones and even damage the heart and kidneys. Take only 10 micrograms a day that is enough for most people.

Adults including pregnant and breastfeeding women, the elderly and children 11-17 years of age should not take more than 100 micrograms, which is 4,000 IU of vitamin D a day it will be harmful.

Children aged 1 to 10 years not more than 50 micrograms which is 2,000 IU a day. Infants under 12 months not more than 25 micrograms which is 1,000 IU a day.

People with medical conditions that means they may not be able to safely take as much. If in doubt, you should consult your doctor. Always follow your doctor’s recommendation.

There is no such thing as an overdose of vitamin D through sunlight exposure. But always protect your skin from harmful sun rays when you are out for long periods at a time. Cover up to reduce the risk of skin damage and skin cancer.

Therefore, when you go to your favorite trip take your Vitamin D with you. Unless you will go to a sunny destination then no need to carry your Vitamin D supplement. You will definitely get your share of that very important Vitamin. So book your hotel room and go anywhere you want.

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