Recent advice from Public Health England (PHE) provides clear guidelines on how much vitamin D we should be taking daily to combat a marked increase in vitamin D deficiency, with an estimated one in five people in the UK experiencing low vitamin D levels, with worrying consequences for bone and muscle health.

SACN Vitamin D and Health report

The PHE’s guidelines were based on the recommendations from the government’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). It particularly focused on those groups that are ‘at risk’, such as those that get little or no exposure to the sun, but their advice encompassed all of us.

The PHE suggested that all children and adults over the age of one should be having 10 micrograms of vitamin D every day, particularly during the winter months. Vitamin D is required for the body for healthy muscles, bones and teeth as it controls the production of calcium and phosphate.

3 sources of vitamin D

Sunlight

During the summer months, the action of sunlight on our skin is enough to produce the required levels of vitamin D. However, from October to March, the sun isn’t strong enough in the UK to produce vitamin D which means we have to rely on diet alone.

Diet

Vitamin D, in small amounts, is found naturally in a few food sources; these include red meat, liver, oily fish and in the yolks of egg. Breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamin D. Limits on the amount of vitamin D in food and the range of sources means that even a varied diet can leave you lacking.

Supplementation

At IV Boost UK, our vitamin drips contain the essential vitamins and minerals our bodies require for optimal performance. We also now offer vitamin D as a standalone treatment or booster shot, which we advise as an ongoing treatment programme of every three months – we also offer blood tests to evaluate your levels of vitamin D if required.

For more information on any of the vitamin drips or vitamin injections we offer at our London IV drip centre, call 020 3095 0002 to speak to one of the team.