This concerns me - for several reasons. Yes, I can see the logic. But it is a step towards something beyond the enrichment of flour to replace what was removed.
Also, so many now do not consume dairy milk - but rather the white liquids made from oats, nuts, soya, etc. Many also avoid wheatflour. How will those folk benefit?
Finally, what about those who are intolerant of vitamin D supplements?
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A simpler approach would be for the experts that appear on the No. 10 sessions to recommend we all supplement vitamin D. They could say it might help fight off COVID-19 and will help fight off other infections. Vitamin D is already added to Cornflakes I assume on a voluntary basis.
A problem with adding it to bread and milk is that some sections of the population may not consume these. At least the issue is getting some publicity.
Stats indicate 65% of U.K. population are not reducing milk consumption (2015) and 10% are eating a gluten free diet (2016) . It will probably be higher now but unlikely it is by much . Adding vit D would still reach more of the population than not.
The real problem is that our government and the NHS do not really believe in vitamins. They think it is all a fairy tale, concocted by silly, self obsessed people with malingering symptoms, who clog up doctors waiting rooms. If they started a proper campaign for supplementation, the public might take note but they never will.
Indeed. The article suggests Government is already promoting vitamin D supplementation. I must have dozed off!
There's much more than D to fight viruses (and I don't mean vaccines) but slowly, slowly the Government might get there by embracing natural practitioners instead of/as well as big pharma. Just a shame that lives are lost whilst they dally.
Yes, promoting it but not in a way that will inspire the naysayers to use it. If it is free, then they might, as even these people are reluctant to give up anything that is free.
Well, supplements don’t make any money for the pharmaceutical industry and I feel they are in control of what our GPs prescribe or even dare to suggest. After living in Crete for 19 years I am amazed at how little and how little the public want to know about looking after their own health in this country.
I believe that everyone with hashimoto’s or similar should take vitamin D3 supplements regardless of when / if the Government gets round to recommending it. It can’t hurt but it could prevent complications with covid 19 so what has anyone got to loose?
Im not convinced it’s such a great idea to add Vitamin D to certain foods , as not everyone will get them .. or want them for that matter
When I was a child we had Clinics in our towns, where nutritious additions were given to all and sundry .. particularly children .. and the Elderly.
Cod Liver Oil, Orange Juice , Multivitamins and Milk ..Etc
Those Clinics should still be available to children , particularly during these days of hardship for so many .. young and Old .
Not everyone has the money to buy a bottle of D3 for the entire Family and all the other supplements too , for that matter, that would fortify their bodies .
The NHS waste sooo much on other inessential things .. time they wakened up to our needs and the needs of our children in these times .
I would have thought their thinking would have progressed somewhat, that they can see as clearly as we do ... the need for supplements for those who have deficiencies , or for those who cannot afford to give them to their children because of the cost !
I think we need to encourage better food consumption than so much cheap and addictive processed food which is devoid of nutrients.
Wheat is everywhere, but is really harmful to a lot of people. We should be encouraging eating of nutrient dense meat and veg which naturally include various vitamins rather than artificially created food with artificial vitamins added.
Alas Nutrient dense meat and veg .. are expensive to Many lower paid people in the Country .. especially now .
I’ve never eaten meat in my whole life .. and so, I eat fish .. and vegetables etc ..good clean food ...and always have .
.. so, when I was diagnosed with Graves , I was very ill indeed ..
after getting diagnosis and using Carbimazole.. I addressed the Many deficiencies I had , to try to help my Immune System ..
It worked ! ... and worked well !!
Some of us, sadly, have no option but to supplement , as with an overactive Thyroid Gland and Metabolism it’s absolutely vital to get these vitamins and minerals to replace what’s been so badly depleted , as our bodies use up what we have so rapidly , leaving us wrecked and ill.
Thank God for supplements !
.. Used in the correct and responsible way , they are absolutely Critical to us .
I could never eat the amount of Magnesium , D3 , B12, Zinc etc etc .. that I need to stay well .. therefore, I simply
Totally agree on supplements, I supplement on several things myself.
All I’m saying is we should encourage eating of real food as opposed to cheap processed rubbish that’s been fortified. It’s cheap for a reason and damaging everyone’s health.
Looks to me like a way of allowing similarly fortified milk from USA in a trade deal than a concern with health - it would also mean an end to organic dairy (as it would have to be factory processed) - how do they know what someone's vit D level is beforehand? They can't. So levels would have to be so low they'd be useless. With bread, if it had to be added, it would probably put many small artisan bakers out of business from cost - yet another attack on small business in favour of industrial farming? Maybe. Easier and more effective to subsidise vit D capsules through NHS. And I'm sure many of the people who have low vit D are likely to be dairy and/or gluten-free, too.
Canned sardines have vitamin D and are pretty cheap. It's a shame most people dislike the taste. However, they're packed with protein and fill you up... a lot better than low fat milk or wheat based carbs.
I really think it's about time we had some government sponsored cookery programmes to harness cheap nutritious readily available ingredients. They did this with leaflets in WW2 when everything was rationed.
Cookery has become a little too affected and aspirational - the Hairy Bikers for example, or Ruth from Wartime Farm could bring things back down to earth and could help people eat better on a tight budget.
That’s great news ... about time too, that they admitted the powers of Vitamin D .. instead of some of their Laboratory made Chemical “cures” that do us more harm than good
Sorry I said letter it was a text & you had to text back yes & they will send them. Yes everybody originally shielding gets same texts from them about any changes made.
WOW As an NHS employee I'm sad to see so much NHS bashing! I know I'm lucky, my GP has always given me Vit D supplements but I've chosen to buy my own now as it's so cheap. The facts are that no matter how good your diet you cannot eat enough appropriate food to up your Vit D level to it's best dose in this country due to the lack of sunshine. As I follow Covid info ..... some very recent small studies have shown that, for some reason, taking Vit D or having it in a good range, seems to reduce the severity of symptoms and therefore the outcome. They are responding quickly to this and sending out the message ( about the only good thing I've seen recently) and looking at ways that might help. As for a healthy diet, that's great but unfortunately a really healthy diet tends to cost more, lack of education means some don't really know HOW to cook healthy meals from scratch and lack of local resources can mean buying fresh healthy food is limited. PLUS, the number of people who are denying that Covid exists, won't wear masks etc makes me think they won't be buying Vit D any time soon! If it's added back in to some staple foods, it might just help some people who will catch Covid and this in turn helps the load on the NHS. It's cheap and could be added in and have a positive effect, win win for me.
Well as an ex NHS employee myself I think a lot of the "bashing" is justified. The way I and other thyroid disease sufferers have been treated or not treated by them is appalling. This site would not exist if the NHS gave thyroid disease sufferers the correct treatment! My husband also worked for the service as a manager for over 20 years and he could also see their faults but was unable to change anything unfortunately.
You said about NHS bashing and I responded. I didn't clap for them and never will because of the way I was treated and members of my family. The whole service needs a big shake up in my opinion. When I worked for them I had excellent treatment because they do look after their own but some of the things I witnessed were really bad and I don't think much has changed. As for COVID I think I had it back in January and even though I have filled in numerous forms about it I have heard nothing from the NHS .... it is a shambles!
I notice you have recently joined and I wondered if you suffer from thyroid disease?
The scientists are urging it with Covid-19 in sight. But it would be unrealistic to expect a temporary period of vitamin D being added milk/dairy/flour then it being scrapped.
Of course, it could happen, but many such things, once implemented, remain indefinitely. Even if no-one really makes that a positive decision. And that is what I'd expect to happen.
.. I think .. from my personal experience, and my Families , we have at times been let down Very badly indeed by The NHS
.. I could list the experiences, but as there are several, it would take too long !
No one is Bashing them as you said ! Rather , Merely stating the facts .. simple !
I’ve certainly not been offered Vitamin D3 on NHS ...despite being desperate for it
.. and I also think that whilst discussing the merits of taking Vitamin D .. you are correct .. we ARE on a site for Thyroid disease and all it entails !
... and it certainly does entail .. mostly all of us on this site .....needing Vitamin D .. and much more besides , which the NHS are not offering to us ... or even acknowledging that we actually need it
....as to your belief that it only very recently been brought to the Populations notice the benefits of D3 on Covid ... or in fact Thyroid Disease and other illnesses .. ‘fraid that’s not correct !
Lastly , I suffered for many years with Graves Thyroid Disease .. And was almost on my knees in despair ....only to be told it was depression ( which I wasn’t ) , menopause ( which it was not ) and a lot of other excuses for their ignorance !
I’m delighted in your Loyalty to the NHS
But we don’t all , sadly feel as good about it ... as you do .
The thing is that most of the population of the UK ( And the world in fact) IS short on Vit D. I've done a lot of research, mostly amateur I confess, on Vit D through my work as a mental health nurse and it's multiple benefits are really only coming to surface now in research. I'm not sure that I think it's necessary a bad thing if is added to milk and bread, but I also get the argument against it too. Generally it's very dad times we live in right now, and having seen the effect on staff and patients in hospitals, I'm pretty much in favour of anything that may help right now.
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