Sept 06 Vitamin D.qxd

Short Description
foods which naturally contain reasonable amounts of vitamin D. … Pregnant and breastfeeding women need 10 mcg of vitamin D daily. …

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Content
Sunshine, not food, is where
most of your vitamin D comes
from. So even a healthy and
well balanced diet, that provides all
the other vitamins and nutrients, is
unlikely to provide enough vitamin D.
To get enough vitamin D you need to spend
some time outside with some bare skin on
most days during the summer months.
How is vitamin D different to other
nutrients?
You make vitamin D under your skin when
you are outside in daylight, which is the reason
vitamin D is sometimes called the sunshine
vitamin. By definition, a vitamin is a nutrient
that we cannot make in our body. Vitamin D is
actually a hormone rather than a vitamin. Very
few foods contain vitamin D naturally.
What does vitamin D do in my body?
Vitamin D makes sure you absorb enough
calcium for your bones and teeth. Even if you
have a calcium-rich diet, without enough
vitamin D you cannot absorb calcium into the
body. Its importance as a hormone is also
being recognised. It helps maintain a healthy
immune system and reduces the risk of some
forms of cancer. Population studies suggest
that lack of vitamin D may increase the risk…