Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D - Haven Pharmacy Burke's

Did you know that Vitamin D is vital for the development of healthy bones, teeth and muscles? The best natural resource of Vitamin D is the sun, however in Ireland during the winter months, we are exposed to very little sunlight, especially people working typical 9 to 5 hours.

We can also get our Vitamin D from our diet by eating foods rich in dairy such as milk, butter, cheese and yoghurt. Oily fish such as salmon and mackerel are a good source of Vitamin D, as well as egg yolks. Unfortunately, we don’t eat enough of these foods to get the recommended amount of Vitamin D our body needs.

Research

Researchers from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) at Trinity College Dublin have found there is insufficient daily intake of the vitamin across Ireland …

47% of all adults over 85 are deficient in winter
27% of adults over 70 are estimated to be deficient
1 in 8 adults over 50 are deficient all year round
Only 4% of men and 15% of women take a Vitamin D supplement

In recent years, there has been huge renewed interest in vitamin D, with new global research showing that the health benefits of this nutrient stretch beyond bone health. There is increasing evidence for the beneficial effects from dietary vitamin D which has shown benefits for its contribution to …

Normal function of the immune system
Maintenance of normal bones and teeth
Normal absorption and utilisation of calcium and phosphorus
Normal muscle function
Normal blood calcium levels
The process of cell division

Links to Colds & Flu

Vitamin D has been in the news frequently recently for its links to Covid-19. A trial on the relationship Vitamin D has in preventing colds, flu and chest infections found that Vitamin D had a significant protective effect when it was given daily or weekly to people with lowest vitamin D levels. The study showed that after taking Vitamin D the risk of having a cold or flu was reduced from 60% to 32% in these people. Therefore, maintaining a sufficient vitamin D level is beneficial in prevention of colds and flus.

Supplements

There are lots of great options available to supplement the diet with vitamin D. By taking a daily supplement with food, you are contributing to the maintenance of normal bones and teeth, and it’s also known for its role in supporting normal function of the immune system, normal cell division and normal muscle function.