“Do I need to take a vitamin D supplement in the summer?”
Medical herbalist Gabriella Clarke answers.
Most of us in the UK and Northern Europe are deficient in vitamin D, which has led to an increase in sales of this important vitamin, especially during the winter months, as we know that we obtain this nutrient through our skin’s interaction with UV from natural sunlight. The sun is simply not strong enough in winter to synthesise this vitamin and it is quite poorly absorbed through nutritional sources such as oily fish. Therefore it would be fair to say that unless you are lucky enough to be spending your winter in an exotic sunny destination a supplement is a good idea.
But what about during summer? Do we really get enough summer sun exposure to ensure our levels are topped up?
It is thought that exposing the face and arms to natural sunlight for 15 minutes each day is enough to ensure synthesising healthy levels, but if you have darker skin you may need longer than this. This is because melanin, the hormone present in skin, protects against UV and inhibits vitamin D synthesis.
If you are not a sun worshiper and spend most of your days stuck inside at work you may still need to take a supplement. The only true way to know if you may be deficient in this vitamin is to ask your GP or practice nurse for a blood test.
