
those from African Caribbean and South Asian backgrounds). people over 65 years) and darker skin takes longer to produce required amounts of vitamin D (e.g. People more at risk are those whose lifestyle, job or abilities mean they are predominantly indoors. It is estimated that about a quarter of all adults in the UK do not get enough vitamin D. In the UK, however, this is not always possible and because of this, NHS guidelines recommend that everyone takes 10 micrograms of a vitamin D supplement, daily, throughout the year, especially in autumn and winter months. Dietary sources however don’t generally provide adequate amounts and a more effective way for your body to produce vitamin D is by exposing your skin to sun.Įxperts suggest a range of 10–30 minutes of sun exposure, particularly between 10am and 4pm, at least twice a week, to the face, arms, hands, and legs without sunscreen is enough to produce adequate levels of vitamin D in the body. If you are vegan, there are also soy and almond milks and yoghurts, and some orange juices that are fortified with vitamin D, and chanterelle mushrooms (raw) are another source.


The best dietary sources of vitamin D are oily fish (such as salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel), red meat, liver, egg yolks, and fortified foods (such as some fat spreads and breakfast cereals).

There are three ways to get vitamin D: through your diet, through exposure to the sun, and via a supplement. For example, it promotes the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from your gut and these nutrients help to keep muscles, teeth and bones strong and healthy. Vitamin D’s most prominent effects on the cells relate to bone health. Vitamin D3 is the more effective type to raise levels of vitamin D in the blood. It is primarily found in two main forms, vitamin D3 and D2. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin (it dissolves in fats and oils) and can be stored in your body for a long time. It is more similar to a hormone, and it is naturally produced in the body from cholesterol when your skin is exposed to the sun – hence it is sometimes referred to as the ‘sunshine vitamin’. Vitamin D works in a different way from other vitamins. Some studies have shown vitamin D can also help stabilise your emotions and moods and it is widely considered to be the most important vitamin for menopausal women.

A lack of estrogen weakens your bones as you age vitamin D works to slow down and minimise the weakening process. One of the ways to look after your health as you go through the menopause is to make sure you are giving your body nutrients that support systems vulnerable to changing hormones.
