VITAMIN D helps absorb calcium which is a vital mineral that is essential for our bones.
Some of the best dietary sources of vitamin D3 include oily fish like salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel etcetera. A portion of these provides around 50 per cent (5ug) of the recommended intake of 10ug. It isn’t advised to take two portions of fish per day to achieve your recommended daily intake of vitamin D3 as the manageable mercury and toxins in fish would then start to become a problem.
Avonmore brand protein milk is a decent source of vitamin D3 for adults, with Arla brand whole milk being a good option for kids from one to five. But again, you would need to take a lot of milk to achieve sufficient vitamin D3 and that’s simply impractical. So consider fish and milk as top-ups for your D3 needs and remember that sunshine, not food, is where most of your vitamin D3 should come from. Vitamin D3 season is between April and September on the island of Ireland and our bodies can absorb it from the sun during these months. It’s advised to get 15 to 20 minutes of mid-afternoon sunshine with no sunscreen on during these months.
But above and beyond this, be sure wear sunscreen to prevent your skin burning.
Hopefully more sun is on its way after a lot of rain in recent weeks.
In the absence of sun, try a daily supplement containing 10ug as a safety net. Go for a lichen supplement if you follow a vegan diet. Women over the age of 65 years should take a supplement all year round at 10ug as well. Vitamin D3 supplements can be easily and widely bought and are cheapest in Home Bargains and B&M Bargains.
• Lee McCusker (BA; MSc; MSc; MSc; ANutr) is a registered nutritionist from Belfast and can be found on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Email: attentivenutrition
@gmail.com
