In the months of January to March, Vitamin D levels are at a low for many in the UK, with almost a third of adults (29%) at risk of Vitamin D deficiency[2]. With Spring on the horizon, Brits may believe they’re out of the woods, however its more important than ever to support their Vitamin D levels as it’s not until April when most people naturally start making all the Vitamin D they need from sunlight.

In response, Holland & Barrett is launching a ‘Big Vit D Giveaway’ tour of the UK to giving out 1.8 million free Vitamin D tablets in a bid to support the nation’s immunity at a time where Vitamin D levels are surprisingly low.

Alex Glover, Nutrition Development Lead at H&B, comments: “If you want to feel good, keeping your immune system healthy and functioning is essential, and we know Vitamin D plays an important role here. Your body makes around 90% of the Vitamin D it needs, but this can only happen when your skin gets enough direct UV light from sunshine. More of us are aware that during the darker months, how important it is to keep on top of our Vitamin D intake, however, it’s still just as important to keep Vitamin D levels up as we enter Spring.

“By taking a vitamin D supplement daily, you can support your natural production, however it may take a few weeks to build up your reserves, which is why I recommend starting today so you don’t experience the ‘dip’ in Spring like many of us might experience.

“To help take charge of your wellness, here are my top myth busters around Vitamin D.”

1. “You can stop taking Vitamin D after winter” – Many of the UK believe that we can stop taking our Vitamin D supplements in March as we’re nearing the end of dark and cold days. In reality this isn’t always the right thing to do. We at H&B want to help those who are not able to go outside as much, have to cover up when outside, or those who are at higher risk of vitamin-d deficiency, think about taking a supplement during the brighter months, in March, and beyond.”
2. “Going abroad is enough to keep up Vitamin D levels” – You may link a sunny holiday abroad with avoiding a Vitamin D deficiency, but we need to be consistent with our Vitamin D levels. Exposure to a few weeks in the sun can help keep levels up, but we should continue to support this when we’re back on home turf.
3. “You don’t need to take Vitamin D all year round” – You can develop a Vitamin D deficiency at any time of the year, including those balmy sunny summer days. Many may think that being out in the sun alone means your Vitamin D levels are fine, however, things like being covered up when outside, or having darker skin will impact exposure to this.
“Vitamin D only impacts our bones, muscles and immunity” – As well as the well-known Vitamin D benefits like helping to with maintenance of bones and muscles function and support immunity, there are also more surprising effects for our body. One is that supporting our Vitamin D levels can help with maintenance of normal teeth and blood calcium levels.
5. “Age doesn’t impact Vitamin D levels” – As we get older, our bodies get less efficient at using Vitamin D and this affects the rate at which calcium is absorbed. Experts think there may be a link between changing hormone levels and Vitamin D conversion in the body, which may mean that menopausal and postmenopausal women are at greater risk of osteoporosis than younger women. Ensuring you are getting 10mcg of vitamin D a day throughout your life, whichever life stage you are in, will help to support your bone health.

In a bid to support the nation’s immunity, Holland & Barrett’s ‘Big Vit D Giveaway’ tour will begin on 22nd February in Glasgow, making its way across the country to Birmingham, Manchester and Leigh, and finishing at London’s Upton Park on 27th February.