Keeping vitamin D levels up in winter
HEALTH experts say more than one in five people has low levels of vitamin D, which is essential for keeping teeth and bones healthy, regulating mood and improving resistance against winter bugs.
The best source of this vital vitamin is sunshine, but all those hours at your keyboard mean many of us rarely see daylight during the colder, darker months, so you need to be extravigilant about getting enough of the good stuff. Here’s how to up your vitamin D intake during the big chill.
EAT FATTY FISH
SALMON, mackerel, herring, trout and kippers are all brilliant sources of vitamin D. Just half a fillet of salmon has more than 1,000 IU (international unit) of vitamin D, which is more than the daily recommended allowance for a person. Fresh fatty fish also supplies iron, zinc, niacin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12, plus many other nutrients needed for good health.
DRINK FORTIFIED MILK
RESEARCH shows that a 200ml glass of whole milk contains at least 100 IU of vitamin D, a quarter of your daily optimum intake. Not all milk products contain this essential vitamin, so make sure you look out for fortified varieties.
EGGS FOR LUNCH
ALL the goodness in an egg comes from its yolk, so it’s important to use the whole egg and not just the whites. One egg will give you about 40 IU.
ADD SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS TO YOUR STIR FRY
SOME mushrooms, like humans, can produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. Shiitake are the best at this and contain around 40 IU in 120 grams of the potent fungi – not a huge amount, but every little helps.
TAKE A SUPPLEMENT
WE’RE all busy, and one of the easiest ways to win at winter health is to take a supplement. Healthspan has a Super D Vitamin Gummy (£9.95 for 90, healthspan.co.uk) that has a pleasant apple and blackcurrant flavour. Each sugar-free sweet contains 1,000 IU of Vitamin D, helping you to easily hit the recommended winter intake.
But don’t snack on them, as an excess of the vitamin over time can cause illness, weakness and kidney problems.