I woke up to a completely different season this morning than the one I fell asleep to.
Temperatures are dropping, the rain is creeping in, and winds are yawning; we’re well and truly in autumn.
With sunset well and truly under 8pm and symptoms of seasonal affective disorder affecting some already, the NHS has some advice to make the darker months easier.
“Government advice is that everyone should consider taking a daily vitamin D supplement during the autumn and winter,” the NHS site says.
Why?
The vitamin helps to keep your calcium and phosphate levels where they should be.
When you’re deficient in vitamin D, kids can develop rickets and adults can experience bone pain caused by osteomalacia. Your bones, teeth, and muscles can all suffer too.
Muscle pain, bone pain, a tingly sensation in hands or feet, muscle weakness (especially in the upper arms and thighs), muscle twitches, and increased sensitivity to pain are other signs, Yale Medicine says.
Usually, your body creates enough vitamin D to keep you healthy from the sunlight on your skin.
“But between October and early March we do not make enough vitamin D from sunlight,” the NHS says.
Oily fish, egg yolks, red meat, liver, and more contain small amounts of vitamin D.
Who’s at a higher risk?
People who don’t get much sunlight, like housebound people, people in care homes, and people who usually cover most of their skin when outdoors may need a 10 microgram (mcg) dose of vitamin D daily throughout the year as they’re at higher risk.
“If you have dark skin – for example you have an African, African-Caribbean or south Asian background – you may also not make enough vitamin D from sunlight,” the NHS adds. You may also need daily vitamin D, whether in winter or not.
The same applies to children aged one to four years, “Babies up to the age of 1 year need 8.5 to 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day,” they add.
10 micrograms a day will be enough for most people, the NHS adds, regardless of whether you’re taking them every day or just in the darker months.
“Do not take more than 100 micrograms (4,000 IU) of vitamin D a day as it could be harmful,” they add. For kids under 10, that lowers to 50mcg.