Recently, increasing news reports are promoting the use of Vitamin D supplements to reduce deficiency, in line with new NHS advice. Social distancing has reduced the number of people going outdoors. Now, the NHS recommends everyone considers taking a daily 10 microgram supplement of Vitamin D to keep your bones and muscles healthy. Scottish and Welsh governments and Northern Ireland’s Public Health Agency have issued similar advice for the lockdown period.

The Science Director of the British Nutrition Foundation, Sara Stanner, has said, “Staying at home is immensely important and, while many of us have limited access to sunlight, this means we need to take a little extra care to keep our vitamin D levels healthy.”

Groups most at risk of Vitamin D deficiency

People who will not get enough vitamin D from sunlight because they have very little or no sunshine exposure.

The Department of Health and Social Care recommends that you take a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D throughout the year if you:

• are not often outdoors – for example, if you’re frail or housebound
• are in an institution like a care home
• usually wear clothes that cover up most of your skin when outdoors

If you have dark skin, for example, you have an African, African-Caribbean or south Asian background, you may be at risk of Vitamin D deficiency from lack of sunlight.