By Megan Robinson
Drink your lemon water, put on a face mask, do some yoga… but what about taking your vitamins? Vitamin D has an abundance of benefits such as the promotion of better hormone production and healthy bone development, yet so little of us realise how important it is. So why are so many of us not getting enough of the D vitamin?
It is more important than ever to try and get vitamin D into your daily life, as many of us are staying indoors and may not be getting all of our nutrients. There has been a lot of speculation lately about how vitamin D could potentially help us fight off viruses such as the common cold and Covid-19, but this information is still in the process of being proved. We do know that vitamins are great for the immune system, so it is best to ensure that we are all getting enough at this time of year.
It’s hard to feel motivated during winter, let alone another lockdown. At this point in the season, many of us are suffering from post-Christmas blues and may not have the money to splash out on new beauty essentials.
That is why we’re here to help you find the right products for you and your body at a small price. We have conjured up a range of items that will make you feel like a brand new person from your hair down to your feet. Oh, and did we mention that all of these products are under £10!? We couldn’t believe it either…
Vitamin D in summer and winter
Affectionately nicknamed “the sunshine vitamin”, we tend to get our daily dose of vitamin D from sun rays. However, we live in the UK where it rains for half of the year and when it finally is hot, it is almost too hot to go anywhere! The best time to absorb the sunshine vitamin in the summer is before 11am and after 3pm. Do this for a few minutes while your arms and legs are exposed, making sure you’re armed with SPF!
Between late March and September, most of us get enough vitamin D from sunlight, but from October to early March, the sun isn’t strong enough to supply humans with the much needed vitamin. The NHS recommends that throughout the winter months we should take supplements with enough vitamin D in them to make up for the lost sunlight.
Who is at risk from vitamin D deficiency?
There aren’t many noticeable symptoms that come with vitamin D deficiency, however you may feel tired, lethargic or have some aches and pains. Those with darker skin are at more risk of vitamin D deficiency as the melanin they produce reduces the skin’s ability to make the vitamin. Those who cover their skin are also at risk as the only way our bodies can make vitamin D is if we are exposed to it.
Surprise, surprise, those who rarely go outside are also at risk. That is pretty much everyone in the UK right now but hopefully we will be able to soak up all the vitamin D we need in summer 2021. Remember, just because you may not be at risk, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be taking vitamins.
The Best vitamin D supplements
Holland and Barrett have a wide range of products that help people boost their vitamin D intake. As there are soooo many, we have chosen three of their bestselling and top rated items.
