'I'm an NHS GP – there's only one supplement everyone should be taking'

An NHS GP has said everyone in the UK should be taking a vitamin D supplement between October and March because it is the one vitamin Brits can’t get from their diet or the sun during the winter months.

Speaking to Samuel Goldsmith on the Good Food podcast, Dr Chinta Patel said that when it came supplements we should be able to get what we need from a balanced diet.

However, in her opinion, the exception was vitamin D because of how little it is possible to get in the UK between March and October. She explained: “Supplements, it’s something I get asked about all the time.

“I think it’s difficult isn’t it, because you’ve so many supplements out there and so many celebrities endorsing different supplements and I think it’s important to just remember that actually you can get pretty much everything you need from a good varied balanced diet, apart from one in the UK and that’s vitamin D.

“Vitamin D’s really difficult to get because we just don’t have enough sunshine in this country and it’s actually a hormone rathe than vitamin.

“During the winter months, October to March, in this country we recommend everybody takes a vitamin D supplement so everybody should be taking vitamin D whatever your age.”

Vitamin D is a crucial vitamin for the body as it can help regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body according to the NHS. They say it is possible to get vitamin D into one’s diet through non-supplemental means such as consuming foods like salmon, red meat, egg yolks, liver, and fortified foods.

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On whether people should be taking vitamin D supplements during the winter, the NHS said: “Since it's difficult for people to get enough vitamin D from food alone, everyone (including pregnant and breastfeeding women) should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D during the autumn and winter.

“Between late March/early April to the end of September, most people can make all the vitamin D they need through sunlight on their skin and from a balanced diet.”

Whilst a vitamin D supplement can help boost the immune system and keep the body healthy, health bodies such as the NHS have warned it is possible to take too much vitamin D and cause harm to oneself.

They said that too much vitamin D can lead to a build-up of calcium in the body and cause a condition called hypercalcaemia which can “weaken the bones and damage the kidneys and heart”.

On how much people should be taking, they recommended: “If you choose to take vitamin D supplements, 10 micrograms a day will be enough for most people.

“Do not take more than 100 micrograms (4,000 IU) of vitamin D a day as it could be harmful. This applies to adults, including pregnant and breastfeeding women and the elderly, and children aged 11 to 17 years.”