Reach for the sun

Here’s how to make sure you’re getting enough Vitamin D, which is key to recovery from Covid-19

Known as the sunshine vitamin because it’s made in our skin in response to sunlight, Vitamin D plays a key role in keeping us in good health — something that’s incredibly important as the country faces the coronavirus pandemic. Not only does this important vitamin support our immune system so we can fi ght off viruses more easily, it is also important for maintaining healthy bones, and has a role in preventing breast and bowel cancer, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and dementia.

And some of the latest reports suggesting that a vitamin D deficiency might make Covid-19 symptoms worse, now is the time to up your intake, as it could make all the difference if the worst happened to you.

How do we get it?

Vitamin D is found naturally in a small number of foods, like oily fish, eggs and mushrooms, but it is difficult to get the recommended amount from food alone.

“Your body does not expect to get much Vitamin D from food,” says nutritionist Dr Marilyn Glenville, “because it is made by the exposure of skin to sunlight.”

It’s not just lockdown that can affect our vitamin D levels. People often don’t get enough during monsoon. Public Health England recommends that everyone over the age of one should supplement with 400 IU/day (10 micrograms), when one can’t get enough sunshine. Here’s what else you can do.

Get some sun

Spend 10-15 minutes every day with your face, neck, legs and arms exposed to the sun without sunscreen on, because it blocks the UV rays needed in the production of Vitamin D.

Avoid doing this in the midday sun to make sure you don’t burn, and if you’re staying exposed for longer than 15 minutes, apply sunscreen.

Make the most of the light when you’re inside

Open a window that’s in direct sunlight and soak in the sun that way — make sure you open the window though, because the rays can’t penetrate the skin through glass.

Eat foods rich in Vitamin D

► Oily fish — 100g of salmon contains 284 IU of vitamin D, and 100g of tinned pilchards contains 560 IU.

► Mushrooms — Shiitake mushrooms contain 18 IU per 100g. Interestingly, like humans, mushrooms produce more vitamin D when their skin is exposed to the sun — so it’s worth leaving your mushrooms out in direct sunlight.

► Eggs — The yolk of one egg contains about 20 IU of Vitamin D.

► Cereals and plant milks that are fortified with vitamin D — instant oats have 154 IU per packet, and Alpro almond milk has 30 IU per 100ml.

Supplements

Often the easiest and safest way to get enough Vitamin D is via supplementa. Dr Glenville says, “When selecting a Vitamin D supplement, choose one where the form of Vitamin D is D3 (cholecalciferol), not D2 (ergocalciferol), because D3 is 87 per cent more effective at raising and maintaining Vitamin D levels.”