In recent years the importance of vitamin D has been well recognised to maintain good health and to prevent disease. With the clocks turned back and winter months upon us, it’s essential to optimum health that we are all getting the right amount of Vitamin D. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin, meaning that it can be stored in the body. This would suggest that we could store Vitamin D from the summer months.

However, people in Ireland don’t adequately stock up on Vitamin D – due to bad summer months like the one we had this year, or if confi ned to indoors for prolonged periods. As you all know, last summer provided us with very little sunshine, and there is no doubt that because of the lack of sunshine we weren’t able to optimise our Vitamin D levels. The public are defi nitely becoming more aware of the importance of vitamin D, this was clearly shown to Full of Beans this summer – the demand for Vitamin D continued as people were just not getting it from the sunshine.

The research that is shown is now suggesting that many of the health problems that effect people in Western Countries are even related to inferior Vitamin D levels. Insuffcient Vitamin D is associated with increased risk from Osteoporosis, Muscle Weakness, Fractures, Auto-immune Diseases, Infections, and Cardio-Vascular Disease among some.

In the Northern Hemisphere researchers now believe that at least 2200 I.U of Vitamin D3 is required as a daily intake to receive optimal benefi ts and maintain adequate blood levels Vitamin D is important for flu protection. Vitamin D is vital for activating T-cells. T-Cells are highly specialised and very important part of our immune system needed for combating bacteria or viruses, such as the fl u. One of the main reasons why we are more susceptible to fl u outbreaks during the winter months is because of the lack of sunshine and consequently too little vitamin D.

In a Japanese study where school children aged 6-15 years were randomly assigned 1,200 I.U of D3 daily, the supplemented children were nearly 60% less likely to catch Infl uenza A. In addition to protecting against Infl uenza A, which is the most common form of the virus, Vitamin D
seems to assist where there is a history of asthma (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition March 10.2012). So when should we start supplementing with Vitamin D? This year many of us supplemented with vitamin D throughout the summer as we were not getting it from the sunshine. For those of you who haven’t started yet it would be ideal to start now, as Vitamin D may enhance innate immunity during the flu season.

For correct dosage of Vitamin D, which is unique to the individual, get your blood tested from your doctor. People on medication should always refer to their doctor.