Brits have insufficient or deficient levels of Vitamin D

According to national statistics, over a quarter (27%) of Brits have insufficient or deficient levels of Vitamin D, with as much as 74% of people having levels below those recommended for good wellbeing. Worryingly, it is also estimated that 16% of children in the UK are deficient in vitamin D too.

While you may not initially think it, Vitamin D deficiency can have serious impacts on a person’s overall health. Symptoms include, but are not limited to, depression, hair loss, fatigue, muscle weakness, and bone pain, and sadly those most at risk are usually already vulnerable, with pregnant and breastfeeding women, children under 5, and adults over 65 topping the tables for low levels of Vitamin D.

The Western diet is largely to blame for many of the vitamin deficiencies in the UK, particularly Vitamin D. Vitamin D rich foods include oily fish like salmon and mackerel, egg yolks and fortified breakfast cereals, but with a tendency towards more processed and refined foods high in saturated fat and sugar, many Brits’ diets cannot sustain sufficient production of the nutrient. Shockingly, only 18% of children aged 5-15 years consume the government’s recommended five portions a day, meaning many children aren’t getting the right nutrients from their diet.

The main source of Vitamin D is sunlight. Sometimes called the ‘sunshine vitamin’, our bodies make Vitamin D by absorbing sunlight that shines on our exposed skin, collecting and storing it for later use. This mainly occurs between the months of April and September, but with the majority of the nation having spent this time indoors under lockdown, it is essential that we focus on Vitamin D status with more people spending more time indoors. This won’t be helped in the coming months either with the winter months meaning less hours of sunlight in the day.

Aston spoke to nutritional experts Dr Jenna Macciochi and Emily Rollason to discuss about how important Vitamin D is and how we can make sure we are hitting our daily quota.

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