08 October 2023 , 14:10
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People who are exhausted, are losing their hair and have a loss of appetite may be suffering from a lack of vitamin D in their lives.
The 'sunshine nutrient' helps the body absorb and use calcium and phosphorus, which are essential for maintaining strong and healthy bones and teeth, as well as supporting the heart. Vitamin D is also important for blood clotting, boosting the immune system and muscle growth. Experts recommend everyone should take a daily 10 microgram vitamin D supplement as the nutrient can't usually be obtained from food in sufficient amounts - with Brits often not getting the necessary sunlight to maintain blood levels.
There are nine symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency people can look out for. According to University Nebraska University Health Centre, they are:
Fatigue
Not sleeping well
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Bone pain or achiness
Depression or feelings of sadness
Hair loss
Muscle weakness
Loss of appetite
Getting sick more easily
Pale skin
Last month it was reported a third of Brits are not getting enough Vitamin D, according to a study. A research by the Health & Food Supplements Information Service (HSIS), published in The Food and Nutrition Journal, has shone a light on the mounting evidence pointing to the importance of the sunshine nutrient for our health and wellbeing.
They also found worrying gaps in the UK’s vitamin D levels, with research showing that among 210,502 patients who had a vitamin D test, one-third were deficient (with deficiency identified as a blood level below 30 nanomoles (nmol per litre).
Nutritionist and co-author of the research Dr Pamela Mason said: “Closing the gap between vitamin D intakes and recommendations is an imperative to prevent deficiency, and maintain bone and muscle health, particularly to prevent nutritional rickets and osteomalacia (bone softening).”
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Amid the evidence, the researchers looked at the latest government findings derived from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) data, which reveal that one in five people in the UK are deficient in vitamin D including:
10 per cent of children aged 4-10 years
26 per cent of 11–18-year-olds
17 per cent of adults aged 19-64 years
13 per cent of adults 65+ years
A proportion of the Vitamin D we need comes from sun exposure. However, as HSIS GP Dr Nisa Aslam explains, “Sun exposure is also the cause of sunburn and a risk for skin cancer. Seasons, time of day, length of day, cloud cover, air pollution, skin melanin content, and sunscreen are among the factors that affect UV radiation exposure and Vitamin D skin synthesis.”
She adds, “Sunscreen appears to block vitamin D synthesis, but people usually do not apply sufficient amounts of sunscreen, cover all sun-exposed skin, or reapply sunscreen regularly, so some synthesis will occur but there has been little agreement on how much.” To achieve the UK recommended daily intake of 10 mcg vitamin D, which aims to achieve a serum vitamin D level of more than 25 nmol/litre to avoid deficiency, from food alone is highly challenging.