Stay Healthy With Our Selection Of The Best Vitamin D Supplement
Vitamin D is essential for a number of reasons. This fat-soluble vitamin contributes to the normal functioning of our immune systems and helps maintain normal muscle function.
Vitamin D also helps with the absorption and utilisation of calcium and phosphate in our body, and it is these nutrients that help keep our teeth, bones, and muscles healthy.
We can obtain pretty much all the vitamin D we need from sunlight, however, this is far harder during the UK’s cooler months, as there is less sun.
Therefore, the NHS advises everyone to take vitamin D supplements between October through to late March/early April, to ensure we maintain optimum levels of vitamin D. More recently, with people spending so much more time indoors, this advice has been extended to all the year round.
There are two different types of vitamin D; vitamin D3 and vitamin D2. Put simply, vitamin D3 comes from animal sources and vitamin D2 comes from plants and fungi. When our skin is exposed to sunlight, vitamin D3 is made in the body, making vitamin D3 the preferred type out of the two. Our bodies use and absorb vitamin D3 far more effectively than vitamin D2 so this is the form you should look out for on the label of any vitamin D tablets.
Sources Of Vitamin D
Vitamin D is primarily made when our skin is exposed to the sun. But, in the UK winter months, sunlight levels are too low, and even outside of these months people may not be spending enough time with skin exposed outdoors to achieve what’s needed.
There are a handful of foods that provide some vitamin D, however the amount they provide usually isn’t enough without the addition of sunlight. These foods include eggs, oily fish such as sardines, salmon and mackerel, and liver. All of these animal foods provide the preferred type of vitamin D; vitamin D3.
Plant based foods that contain vitamin D2 include mushrooms, and fortified foods such as orange juice, bread, cereals, and plant milks.
Vegetarians and vegans will struggle even more to hit their vitamin D quota through food as plant-based foods don’t offer the essential vitamin D3.
As foods do not provide enough essential vitamin D3, it can be useful to take a supplement. Vitabiotics offer various vitamin D supplements of different strengths.
Plus, Vitabiotics Ultra Vitamin D range is vegetarian friendly and provides varying levels of vitamin D3.
How Much Vitamin D Should I Take?
According to the NHS, adults in the UK could benefit from taking a daily supplement containing 10μg of vitamin D a day. This applies to pregnant and lactating women too.
In fact, for anyone aged over five years old consideration should be given to taking 10μg a day between the months of October through to late March/early April, when there is less UK sun.
The UK’s Department of Health also recommends that certain groups take a daily supplement throughout the entire year. This includes those who spend more time indoors such as anyone who is housebound, those who wear clothes that cover up most of their skin when outdoors as well as anyone in an institution such as a care home.
Vitamin D For Adults: What To Look For
The UK’s Department of Health and Social Care recommends taking a supplement containing at least 10 micrograms (μg) of vitamin D.
It’s also important to take a supplement that provides vitamin D3, the body’s preferred form of vitamin D. Vitamin D3 helps maintain healthy teeth, muscles and bones, as well as contributing to the normal functioning of our immune system
For those looking for the exact level as recommended by the UK Department of Health and Social Care try Vitabiotics Ultra Vitamin D 400IU providing 10μg vitamin D3.
For those seeking higher levels, Vitabiotics Ultra Vitamin D 4000IU provides the maximum adult dose of 100μg in each tablet, plus, it’s vitamin D3, the preferred form. 4000IU is the highest level of Vitamin D in the Ultra range, it is recommended for use under the guidance or supervision of your pharmacist or health professional.
Other supplement options for adults include Vitabiotics Ultra Vitamin D 1000IU which provides 25μg of vitamin D3; an optimum strength in one daily tablet. Or for those who don’t like tablets, try the new chewable Ultra Vitamin D Gummies which also provide 1000IU and are suitable for vegans.
Also available are Vitabiotics Ultra Vitamin D 2000IU with 50μg of vitamin D3 and Vitabiotics Ultra Vitamin D 3000IU. One tablet a day of the 3000IU provides 75µg of vitamin D3 for those who want more specialist support, for example to build vitamin D levels more quickly.
The NHS recommend that adults avoid taking more than 100μg (4000IU) of vitamin D each day.
Vitamin D For Kids
The UK Department of Health and Social Care recommend that children from one to four years should be given a daily supplement containing 10µg of vitamin D.
It’s also advised you should consider giving your children a daily supplement containing 10µg of vitamin D between October and March from the age of 5 years onwards.
Vitamin D is important for children as it is needed for normal growth and development of bone and the normal function of their immune system.
Vitabiotics Wellkid Peppa Pig Vitamin D strawberry flavour soft jellies provide 10µg of the preferred form of vitamin D; vitamin D3. They offer an effective way to safeguard dietary intake of vitamin D level in young children aged three to seven years old.
Vitabiotics Wellkid Marvel Vitamin D soft jellies in strawberry flavour, are suitable for children aged seven to 14 years old, these jellies offer 12.5µg of vitamin D3.
Vitamin D For Babies
With babies, The Department of Health and Social Care recommends that breastfed babies from birth up to one year old, should be given a supplement containing 8.5 to 10µg.
Babies who are given formula instead of being breastfed should only be given a supplement when they are consuming less than 500ml of formula a day as infant formula is already fortified with vitamin D.
Children up to four should be given a daily supplement containing 10µg of vitamin D.
Vitabiotics Wellbaby Vitamin D Drops provide 10µg of vitamin D3, the exact level of vitamin D for infants and young children, as recommended by the UK Department of Health. Vitamin D is needed for the normal growth and development of bones.
The drops, in a pure olive oil base, are suitable for children from birth up to 4 years old.
Wellbaby Vitamin D Drops also come with a useful measuring syringe, and the drops themselves contain no artificial sweeteners, colours, preservatives, salt, yeast, lactose or alcohol.
Vitamin D For Men And Women
Vitabiotics Wellman Max and Wellwoman Max offer ultimate levels of nutritional support. Both supplements offer the nutrients most relevant to men and women.
Vitabiotics Wellwoman Max contains 33 nutrients including vitamin D, calcium, folic acid, omega 3, omega 6, omega 9, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. The vitamin D provided is in the preferred form of vitamin D3, which along with folic acid and selenium, helps to contribute to the normal functioning of the immune system.
Vitabiotics Wellman Max is a daily supplement designed for men, providing over 30 nutrients. These include not only vitamin D, but also B vitamins, zinc, iron, omega 3, omega 6, omega 9 and calcium. The calcium and vitamin D work together as vitamin D contributes to the normal absorption and utilisation of calcium.
Vitamin D For Pregnancy
For women hoping to conceive, Vitabiotics Pregnacare Conception supplement provides the nutrients needed to help prepare the body for pregnancy, as well aiding reproductive health and overall wellbeing. The Vitabiotics Pregnacare Conception supplement contains 20µg of vitamin D as well as 400µg of folic acid. 400µg of folic acid is the amount recommended by the Department of Health and Social Care for all women who are trying to conceive. The beneficial effect is obtained with a supplemental folic acid daily intake of 400µg for at least one month before and up to three months after conception. Supplemental folic acid intake increases maternal folate status. Low maternal folate status is a risk factor in the development of neural tube defects in the developing foetus. Pregnacare Conception also includes vitamin B12, inositol, coenzyme Q10, n-acetyl cysteine, selenium, iron, magnesium and vitamin B6. All these come together to safeguard the diet and to help build a woman’s nutritional stores before conception.
Pregnant women and women who are breastfeeding, are advised to take 10μg of vitamin D each day. Vitabiotics’ Pregnacare range has been specially formulated for pregnancy and helps to safeguard the daily intake of important nutrients, and each product in the During and After Pregnancy ranges provide 10μg of vitamin D.
Pregnacare Max, providing the maximum support in the range includes Omega 3 DHA, of which maternal intake contributes to the normal development of the foetus’ brain and eyes. As well as iron, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, 10µg of vitamin D and 400µg of folic acid, including L-Methylfolate, a more advanced form of folic acid.. It also contains 500mg of calcium which contributes to the maintenance of bones and teeth.
For breastfeeding mums, it is important to take in adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals, to not only ensure they themselves stay healthy, but to also ensure that their breast milk is as nutritious as it can be for their baby.
Vitabiotics Pregnacare Breast-Feeding is a daily supplement for breastfeeding mums, it provides 700mg of calcium for the maintenance of bones and teeth, as well as 10µg of vitamin D which helps our body absorb the calcium.
An Omega 3 capsule also provides 300mg of DHA. Maternal intake of DHA contributes to the normal brain and eye development of breastfed infants.
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