Health

Always forgetting your vitamin D supplement? Try this nutritionist-approved hack

If there’s one supplement we should all be taking it’s vitamin D. Important for healthy bones, mood and immunity, it’s closer to a hormone than a vitamin (a prohormone, to be precise) and is involved in many of the critical processes that keep our bodies healthy.

It’s possible to get vitamin D in our diet (think mushrooms and oily fish) and from the sun, but most of us aren’t getting enough. This is where supplements can lend a helping hand. In fact, the UK Department of Health recommends vitamin D supplementation for all between the months of October and April.

Other experts go further. “We all need to supplement vitamin D in the winter months at the very least, and in the summer if you have dark skin or don’t get a lot of sun,” says dual-qualified nutritionist and dermatologist Dr Thivi Maruthappu on The Liz Earle Wellbeing Show.

Research shows we might also be at risk of a deficiency if we have a gastrointestinal condition such as IBS as this can affect our ability to absorb fats and vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin. If we’re overweight it’s worth bearing in mind that we need substantially more vitamin D.

The same is true of the elderly. Our ability to process vitamin D decreases with age, making supplementation all the more important in later life. Genetic variations can also affect our ability to absorb, store and make use of this important nutrient.

The vitamin D hack

The data is clear. Most of us would benefit from a vitamin D supplement, but it’s not always easy to develop a daily habit. If we find that we’re forgetting to take our morning dose, Dr Thivi has a helpful hack – taking a week’s dose in one go.

This is perfectly safe, she explains, because vitamin D is fat soluble: “It gets stored in your fat cells and is then released as needed. You’re not going to overdose on it as long as you’re not taking beyond the recommended amounts.”

Our favourite vitamin D supplements:

BetterYou D3000 + K2 Vitamin D Oral Spray (£10.95)


This convenient spray contains a winning combination of vitamin D3 and K2 for strong bones.

Wild Nutrition Vitamin D (£16.50)

There’s evidence that food-grown vitamin D – as featured in this Liz-approved supplement – is better absorbed than lab-produced vitamin D.

Words: Ellie Smith

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