Vitamin D

[Westi]

Do you guys think we get enough Vit D? I'm down the plot year around & although the sun does shine on & off or weakly through light cloud cover I still get out in it & with a bit of graft I even have to expose my arms as well as just my face.

Just asking as I got an e-mail from a health food chain pushing it for immune defence big time, but it is confusing with the doses on the bottles not comparing to the proper source of sunlight & what it delivers. Any thoughts or ideas?

[Geoff]

I've often wondered what area of skin you are supposed to expose to generate enough Vitamin D. Most of the time I'm either covered to keep warm or (more rarely) to stop burning. Perhaps I've got rickets rather than arthritis.

[Chantal]

I use a Vitamin D spray, which came from Holland & Barrett and lives in the fridge. One spray on the tongue daily.

It's not something I did before last year as I'm outside every day, but I had to do something to stop my family nagging me and I could see no harm.

[Primrose]

I very.much doubt that just exposure of the face to outside sunshine in winter in this climate is enough. Our GP issues a weekly spiel on our health centre website and has recommended everybody takes a daily 1000 unit dose in winter. Although studies have not yet produced scientific proof it,s believed to have a beneficial effect in helping to protect against Coronavirus.

We,ve been taking it for some years and it doesn,t seem to have done us any harm. I think if you,re normally an outdoor person in summer and expose more of your bodies to absorb sun shine you could probably stop taking it during summer months but British winters are certainly sunshine deficient.

[robo]

I’m 72 now and never had need for it I must be doing something wrong

[Monika]

I have taken four different pills every morning for at least 20 years, one each of multivitamin (including vitamin D, of course), maximum strength cod-liver oil (which also includes vitamin D), garlic and probiotic. I have no idea if they have helped me in any way, but coming up to 84 now and still walking miles, enjoying (yes, really enjoying) digging, lifting large compost bags without difficulty, doing regular pilates exercises (ok, ok, I will stop showing off now ....), but somehow I think I might not be at this point without those supplements. So, I would say, go for it, take vitamin D. At least it won't do any harm unless you overdose!

[Catherine]

I take Glucosamine and chondroitin and Cod Liver oil, and because I had low Vitamin D two years ago (no idea why given I have an allotment) and am never in the house if I can possibly help it) I take Vit D. I do know when I have missed my tablets as my arthritis starts to kick in. Unfortunately I fell in the snow in January whilst out walking and aggravated both knees and it is impeding my walking. Having had physio and accupuncture but not having much luck and I am now only able to walk 4 miles after taking painkillers. Hopefully things will start to improve soon as I am starting to get things going in the polytunnel and clearing the plot.

[Westi]

I prefer natural to prevent & take Glucosamine (bought for the old dog as recommended for their joints), but getting a bit older myself & she responded brilliantly & huge vet savings. Milk Thistle for liver care as covered that in my mini thesis for my degree with intent to expand when I went higher with my education (apparently it can reverse death from eating poison mushrooms, but I'm not eating them just general pollutants) & Ginkgo Biloba after being inspired by a French pharmacists at work about how it is a bit like aspirin to thin the blood to prevent strokes but adjusts more to how thin your blood is & doesn't go OTT!

Where are all the guys? Is this a girl thing? I remain on the fence with vitamin D but as you can imagine I am researching & aren't our breakfast cereals enriched along with some bread? Are we overloading as gardeners also getting the real thing on & off??

[Geoff]

I'm a very reluctant taker of any pills even anti-inflammatories. We seem to have been brain washed into believing we should always feel completely well and if we don't there is a pill for it. Over prescribing and particularly over self-prescribing is a real problem. There is often talk about gut health proving to be important in fighting disease and researchers find wide variations between people, I often wonder if people studying this compare the results with pill taking history particularly anti-biotics. No I don't take pro-biotics either. There has been talk recently that 20-25% of the population are disabled, either the human genome is deteriorating fast (quite possible) or the definition has drifted. I believe most disease is mental, if you want to get well for a special event you usually do. So think hard before you pop anything, eat a good varied diet everything in moderation, get out and about and exercise, keep to a stable routine and think positively - save you and the NHS a fortune.

[Colin2016]

My thinking is as our bodies adjust to our environment, those that live in less sunny places like Greenland/Norway survive ok as do those that live in sunnier places like Australia.

[JulieQ]

No, that's why I usually take some pills

[Kayburton]

I'm a very reluctant taker of any pills even anti-inflammatories. We seem to have been brain washed into believing we should always feel completely well and if we don't there is a pill for it. Over prescribing and particularly over self-prescribing is a real problem. There is often talk about gut health proving to be important in fighting disease and researchers find wide variations between people, I often wonder if people studying this compare the results with pill taking history particularly anti-biotics. No I don't take pro-biotics either. There has been talk recently that 20-25% of the population are disabled, either the human genome is deteriorating fast (quite possible) or the definition has drifted. I believe most disease is mental, if you want to get well for a special event you usually do. So think hard before you pop anything, eat a good varied diet everything in moderation, get out and about and exercise, keep to a stable routine and think positively - save you and the NHS a fortune.

Please do not confuse medications and nutritional supplements. In fact, enduring pain is bad, especially when it comes to headaches. Feeling bad is an obstacle to self-realization and productive work. Previously, when there were not so many medicines, life expectancy was several times lower. Therefore, there is no need for grandmother's prejudices that drugs serve to shorten our lives. They can have this effect if a person uses medications uncontrollably.

Unfortunately, the quality of the food is poor and the lack of sunlight creates a vitamin deficiency. After all, vitamin D is produced by our skin, and in the cold season, almost the entire body is closed, and on the face there is usually a cream with SPF filters, which prevents skin aging. I have been taking multivitamin complexes for 8 years in the winter season. I drink Omega-3 on a regular basis. My wife got me hooked on these additives. In fact, after I started taking food supplements, my health became better, and there are no abnormalities in the clinical blood test (and before that, hemoglobin was slightly reduced and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate increased).