Why everyone’s talking about... Vitamin D
We have all been urged by Health Secretary Matt Hancock to take extra Vitamin D in the face of Covid-19. So what is it?
Technically, it’s a hormone, not a vitamin, which is defined as a molecule the body needs but can’t manufacture i tself. The human body normally creates its own Vitamin D from direct sunlight. As that’s currently in short supply, a winter boost from supplements is recommended.
It can be found in oily fish, red meat, eggs and mushrooms. Indeed, sales of the latter have jumped 16 per cent this year.
Vegans should look away now… because many supplements, as well as popular breakfast cereals (Rice Krispies, Kellogg’s Cornflakes and Cheerios etc), are fortified with Vitamin D made from lanolin, wax derived from the sebaceous glands of sheep.
Why should we take it?
Here comes science bit! Identified by American biochemist Elmer McCollum in 1922, Vitamin D is a fat-soluble steroid hormone which helps absorb minerals in the intestine and regulate calcium levels.
It’s been linked, if not always conclusively, to aiding with asthma, fertility, healing burns, gum disease, brain function, eyesight and multiple sclerosis. In severe cases, lack of Vitamin D can lead to rickets in children and bone problems in adults. Crucially, it has a role in the immune system and can help you recover from illness.
Like Covid?
Seems so. An American study found that coronavirus patients with a severe lack of the so-called ‘sunshine’ vitamin were twice as likely to get major complications and die.
Deficiency is more common among older, overweight or black or Asian people – the same groups hit hardest when contracting the virus. There have also been some studies, including one by Birmingham University, suggesting that people with enough Vitamin D are less likely to contract Covid-19 in the first place. But these aren’t conclusive because of small sample sizes or insufficient consideration of other factors.
Can you take too much?
The NHS recommends ten micrograms of Vitamin D – the equivalent of one salmon fillet – each day in winter, and no more than 100 micrograms. Too much can cause calcium build-up and high blood pressure.