During the winter months, in the UK, there isn’t enough sunlight for most of us to make the vitamin D we need. This could have a much bigger impact on our health than we previously thought.
Although you’ll find vitamin D in fatty fish, and to a much lesser extent in eggs, it’s really hard to get enough just through your diet – and so supplements are the way to go. The guidance in the UK is that everyone should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms or 400 international units of vitamin D, particularly during the winter months.Since its discovery in the 1920s, vitamin D’s best-known role is keeping bones healthy by increasing our body’s absorption of calcium.
Research shows that people taking vitamin D supplements are less likely to get the common cold, and it also reduces how long an infection lasts. Vitamin D is essential for activating your T-cells, a key part of your immune system. If your vitamin D levels are low, then your body will be less effective at fighting off infection.Scientists have discovered that vitamin D also serves an anti-inflammatory function after an infection, helping dampen down your immune system.
According to a large population-based study in America following over 1600 people, those who had a vitamin D deficiency were over 50% more likely to develop Alzheimers or dementia. For those with severe deficiency that risk was more than doubled: it was about 125% higher risk, explains Dr David Llewellyn. “It was the first compelling evidence to link low levels of vitamin D in the blood to an increased risk of dementia.
Source: Healthcare Press (healthcarepress.net)
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