Vitamin D

Vitamin D: a (sun) shining example of how important vitamins are for your body!

 

From supporting strong and healthy bones to maintaining your immune system, vitamin D is very important for a huge number of functions in the body. When the darker nights arrive, it becomes all the more important as we usually make our vitamin D using sunshine.

 

Make sure you keep your vitamin D levels topped up with Holland & Barrett Vitamin D Supplements. Whether you prefer to take Vitamin D Tablets, Vitamin D Chewy Gummies, or use a Vitamin D Spray– we have you covered!

What is vitamin D?

 

You might already know that vitamin D is needed for bone health, and that it’s called ‘the sunshine vitamin’ because your skin makes it in response to sunlight. But you might still be wondering, ‘What does vitamin D do?’ Don’t worry, though, we’re here to give you the low-down on vitamin D!

 

Why is vitamin D important?

 

Vitamin D helps your gut absorb calcium, which is essential for strong bones and teeth. In your blood, vitamin D is needed for the absorption and utilisation of calcium and phosphorus, which work together to maintain bone health. But vitamin D isn’t just about bones – it’s also important for muscle function and immune health.

 

Am I at risk of vitamin D deficiency?

 

Yes, if you don’t spend enough time outside with uncovered skin during the summer months you may develop a vitamin D deficiency. From October to early March, the sunshine in the UK doesn’t contain enough UVB radiation for our skin to create vitamin D. This could leave you with low vitamin D levels.

 

How much vitamin D do I need?

 

All adults and children over the age of one need 10mcg of vitamin D a day. This includes pregnant and breast-feeding women, too. Babies under one need 8.5mcg of vitamin D a day.

 

Where can I get vitamin D from?

 

As well as sunlight, vitamin D is found in some foods such as oily fish, eggs, mushrooms, and fortified foods. The government recommends that everyone should consider taking a vitamin D supplement, particularly between October and March. If your body doesn’t absorb enough sunshine – if you have darker skin, don’t get outside much, or cover up your skin, for example – it is advised that you take a vitamin D supplement year-round.

 

Vitamin D for babies and children

 

It’s not just us grown-ups that need vitamin D, our little ones could do with some of the sunshine vitamin too! The government recommends of a supplement of at least 10µg of vitamin D for children over the age of 1 and 8.5-10µg for babies under 1 year old. This helps them with everything from growing and maintaining healthy bones, teeth and muscles, to keeping their natural immune system functioning. But how? Choose child-friendly chewy gummies or odour- and flavour-less drops for babies and children to make supplementing their vitamin D a little easier.

 

What vitamin D supplements do Holland & Barrett sell?

 

Here at Holland & Barrett, we offer a wide range of vitamin D products so everybody can find a method that suits them. Choose from:

• Vegan Vitamin D Daily Oral Spray: quick, convenient and rapidly absorbed, vitamin D sprays could be the method for you. Vitamin D sprays get absorbed straight into your digestive system for some seriously fast vitamin D action!


• Vitamin D tablets: perhaps the most affordable way to take vitamin D, vitamin D tablets are easy to take and incorporate into your daily routine.


• Vitamin D Drops for kids: it’s very important for children to get enough vitamin D as they are constantly growing and developing. But we know that kids usually struggle to take tablets – so why not try some vitamin D drops for kids? It’s easy to use and specially formulated for children.