Do you need vitamin D in winter?

Next time you're out at lunchtime, have a look at your shadow. Is it longer than you are? If it is, your body isn't making much vitamin D, if any. From now until March, that's pretty much all of us here in the UK, which is why the NHS suggests everyone thinks about taking a vitamin D supplement through autumn and winter.

Earlier last year I attended a seminar with Simon Billings, a chiropractor who has a passion for nutrition. He spoke about the power of Vitamin D, not just for bone health, but for the whole body. It was a reminder that something so simple can make a huge difference to

What does vitamin D actually do?

Most people know Vitamin D3 is vital for strong bones and teeth because it helps the body absorb calcium. That's not all it does though. It also plays a part in normal muscle function and in keeping your immune system working as it should.

Nearly 1 in 5 adults and 4 in 10 children in the UK are low in vitamin D, and between January and March that goes up to almost 1 in 3 adults. If you live up north like us, your odds are worse

Why can't you get enough from the sun in winter?

There are many ways to get vitamin D but for the most part of the year, we don’t make enough naturally, even if we are outside in the sun. From October to March, you cannot make enough Vitamin D from sunlight. If you are curious if you are making vitamin D, look at your shadow. If your shadow is shorter than you are, your body is making vitamin D. If it’s longer, you are not making much or any.

Sunlight is key. Just 10 to 30 minutes of skin exposure on arms and legs in spring and summer can help, provided you do not burn.

How do you know if you're low?

The other way of getting enough vitamin D is through supplementation. The NHS recommends adults take 10 micrograms (400 IU) a day between October and March providing you aren’t already vitamin D deficient. If you think you might be low, the only way to really know is a blood test. From this, the right dose can be established to get you back up to normal levels

What's vitamin K2 got to do with it?

Vitamin D helps you absorb more calcium from your food. Your body then uses a protein called osteocalcin to help lock that calcium into your bones, and osteocalcin needs vitamin K to work properly. Vitamin K plays a part in keeping your bones healthy, which is why you'll often see the two sold together."

One important thing: if you're on warfarin, don't start taking vitamin K without speaking to your GP first, as it can affect how your medication works

Why does a chiropractor care about vitamin D?

At Goose in Dinnington, we talk a lot about function. Adjustments improve communication between your brain and body, but your body also needs the right building blocks to do its job. If your vitamin D is low, your muscles and bones are missing one of those building blocks. So if the only thing you take from the blog is this: from now until March, the sun isn't going to give you the vitamin D you need. We’re heading into October now (after an almost unseasonable sunny September) but if you’ve been thinking about starting supplementing, now is the time!

References:

•NHS. Vitamin D. nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-d

SACN (2016). Vitamin D and Health