Vitamin D - cheap supplements and fortified foods

[helvella]

Picked this up today - obviously with it being as grey as it is today, going outside to top up vitamin D levels is the last thing on most people's minds!

Vitamin D should be added to more foods, doctors urge

Health professionals recommend awareness campaign to combat rise of diseases such as rickets and multiple sclerosis

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Intervention is needed because of the paucity of sunlight in Britain and fact that eating foods rich in vitamin D, such as oily fish, eggs and mushrooms, gives someone only 10% of their ideal intake, he said. Vitamin D deficiency, which has also been linked to diabetes and tuberculosis, is expected to affect one in two white Britons, 90% of those in ethnic minority communities, and a quarter of all children.

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<lots more by following this Guardian link and the BBC link beow>

guardian.co.uk/society/2012...

There are many comments.

Cheap vitamin D 'would boost health'

bbc.co.uk/news/health-20710028

Note: That 10% you might manage to get from diet is for someone who is consuming all these foods. So many people don't even get that much.

Rod

Picture because we all need some brightness.

[PinkNinja]

Yes, I saw this on the news this morning and was thinking that this is not "news", even to the NHS because some hospitals have had all the statistics for a while and have policies for managing vitamin D deficiencies. I don't really understand why they are only now publicly acknowledging there's a problem, unless there is some ulterior motive and some purpose for keeping us in the dark, so to speak! They mentioned that the vitamin D test is very expensive, but my GP agreed to it straight away when I asked him for one. Perhaps they just didn't want the increase in expenditure. I don't know.

Sorry for the rambling but there seemed something a little contrived in the report of this "news". I am, however, very pleased that it is now public knowledge. Maybe people can really get the help they need rather than just being fobbed off and told it's depression

Thanks for the sunshine

Carolyn x

[lynx]

The recent census picked up that we have a more ethnic population, this article shows vit d deficiency will affect 90% of that same population. So hopefully we all win.. human rights and equality

[snowstorm]

Have no idea why one would be Vit D deficient especially when skin is exposed to the sun without sun block at certain times of day. Clearly not converting but why?. Had a Vit D blood test 30th october. Surgery only just got the results as have I. However, the endo had them by 17th November which is when my appointment was. He said Vit D was low!!!.

On receipt of results --- range 50 to 250 --- discovered mine was 54 & has most likely dropped since then. Why did the endo not supplement or at least do something? Here was I thinking that it was Vit B12 (which, by the way, is 1900!!! that cannot be good either) Anyway, have been forced to go to Holland & Barrett to purchase their own 25mg Vit D 3 .

My understanding is, that it's not a good idea to take on the supplement yourself but, as am away for 5 days on wednesday had no choice.

Any comments, advice would be very welcome. Oh, by the way, a Very Merry Christmas to you all.

Stormx

[Lawoman in reply to snowstorm]

You'll need a lot lot more than 25mg. Go onto a search on here and look up advice on taking D3.

[snowstorm]

ps, forgot to say that really not feeling well at all which is why I have taken this route.

[snowstorm]

Hello Lawoman -- I did look it up. Apparently because am rock bottom the requirement is 25mg per day Must have been looking in the wrong place so will try again. This site (can't remember which one) gave different amounts according to how low you were??? Anyway, many thanks for the advice. For the moment will double the dose.