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[dazned]

Its been on the news all morning how its now recognized that we all should consider taking vit D supplements,something else MM members already mostly knew !       

[Taz2]

It's interesting that they only say to take it in the winter months though, whereas, my GP says all year round is necessary due to the fact that we protect ourselves from the sun so much!

Taz x

[Ju Ju]

Our chiropractor has been recommending this for years, as have other alternative practitionists. I have been taking drops for several years and a blood test showed that my vit D3 levels are in the ideal range despite not being a sun lover.

[Dancinggirl]

It's important to make sure you are not low on Magnesium as well - magnesium allows us to absorb Vitamin D and calcium and apparently many of us are low on Magnesium as there aren't that many things rich in this vital mineral -  our tap water used to have more!!!

I've recently started using Magnesium spray and found this very good.  Many find Magnesium can upset the tummy so taking it transdermally is a good option. My brother-in-law is a leading gastroenterologist, has insisted for some time that we should all make sure we get enough Vitamin D (especially in winter but also throughout the year if we don't get much sunshine) and his team are doing a study on the use of Magnesium spray because so many athletes use it for dietary and muscle relaxing benefits - I will be very interested to know the findings but it may be some time yet.

Whilst we are constantly told we should be able to get all the necessary nutrients from a good diet I do believe some supplementation is necessary - we lead busy lives, much of our food has been treated with chemicals or processed in some way which depletes may vital vitamins and minerals.  Fish absorbs pollution, cattle, sheep and pigs may well have had antibiotics, fruit and vegetable are often sprayed with chemicals and there are always risks regarding eggs etc. As long we endeavour to eat well, eat as little sugar as possible, then a few extra supplements to perhaps fill in the gaps in our diet will do us good.
DG x

[Ju Ju]

Ah that's good to know. I've started using the magnesium spray as it seems to help with sleep and definitely helps with DH's restless legs. We know all about it if he forgets! I found the spray really irritated at first, which is a symptom if you have low levels.

[Justjules]

I've just finished my mega dose course of VitD.  Can't say I feel any better yet but have heard it can take months.  I think my magnesium level was tested at the same time but that was okay - would I still benefit from a supplement though do you think?  I did buy one before I had the blood test but haven't taken it in case I didn't need it and then did more harm than good.

[Elizabethrose]

I'm exceptionally pale skinned, with extreme sun intolerance and can only be exposed with a SPF of 50+. My joints had really started aching over the past few years, particularly in my hands and fingers, something I'd been ignoring and just putting it down to ageing. I have always eaten well with a wide variety of foods and never seen the need to supplement my diet with extra vitamins and minerals.

However, after reading the results of some US studies I decided to try a bone/joint supplement. I've been taking Osteocare plus Glucosamine and Chonroitin for about 4-5 months now. Obviously it may be coincidental but my joints have stopped aching, they are very clearly improved. My digestive system too, which has always been affected by hormonal change has also calmed. Lack of progesterone has always caused bloating and diarrhoea and this too has disappeared.

My husband suffers from IBS, was found to be lacking in Vit D, and prescribed a high dosage. His IBS has also calmed.

Like Sparkle, I'm not a medic I can only speak as I find. The Osteocare contains a mix of minerals thought needed for calcium and Vitamin D absorption including magnesium.

[Dancinggirl]

Osteoporosis is a crippling condition that is one of the reasons the NHS is so broke - it is high time that bone scans and more education on looking after our skeleton should be introduced, so osteoporosis this can be prevented. Simple things like Vit D with Magnesium supplements can make a real difference. Calcium is still better absorbed through food sources - a small chunk of hard cheese and milk with the cereal at breakfast can actually be enough to maintain our bone density - however if you don't have the Vitamin D and magnesium alongside, then this calcium won't get absorbed.  Lack of Vit D also results in fatigue and low mood and sadly very few of us get the 20 mins a day of sunshine every day(without unblock) that will ensure enough of this vital vitamin. There has a been a big rise in Rickets in recent years due to the over use of sunscreen on children.
Like all things, it's about balance - we don't need to take a lot of any one thing but with the internet it is now easy to research what foods give us the balance of nutrients we need and if the right balance is not in our diet (for all kinds of reasons) then it makes sense that some supplementation is wise.

The problem is, if GPs start telling us that supplements might be needed then people expect these to be prescribed - we do need to sensible and not expect the NHS to pick up the tab for everything.

If we all grew our own fruit and vegetables, kept chickens and a milking cow, fished in our local streams and brewed our own ale, we would have the outdoor lifestyle with untainted food stuffs that would give us the perfect nutrition.
DG x

[Hurdity]

I was half asleep when I heard the bit about Vit D but apparently Public Health are going to do a campaign  What I heard someone say was that we should take vit D from October to March because there isn't enough strength in the sun to make our own. But - (big but!) we store vit D in the liver (as well as in fat) so a lot of what we make in the summer is meant to last - not sure what the data are on how long etc, but if you've had good exposure to sunlight throughout the summer (and I gather it doesn't have to be full on sun worshipping to achieve this) then I doubt you would need much supplementation for all that time anyway.

Anyone who covers up their body completely as women in some cultures do, or is fair-skinned and uses Factor 50 most of the time - would need to do so.

I'm not sure it has to be daily either (the sunshine) - eg if you spend longer in the sun such as at weekends I imagine you would make more intuitively - that would make sense.

It's the time of year I don't have time to look things up so only my thoughts here and would love to read any studies!

Re the Magnesium - Dancinggirl  - do you have any data on our being deficient in Magnesium? I still think we should be able to get what we need from our diet and this is recommended by NHS - there was a report on this recently (vits and supplements). NHS does not recommend we take magnesium for our essential functions: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vitamins-minerals/Pages/Other-vitamins-minerals.aspx#magnesium

However the use of magnesium for medicinal purposes is a different issue entirely eg as spray etc for certain conditions ( I haven't read about this aspect), Milk of Magnesia for stomach problems etc - and different from our every day use of dietary magnesium in normal body processes.

We should not need to research what foods we need to get everything we need - beyond a basic knowledge of different food stuffs, and to eat as wide a variety as possible of different foods in all groups, and make sure it is all cooked from fresh ingredients as far as possible.

A few well chosen supplements just to top up or if you are shown to be deficient or know your diet is poor - may be necessary - but I think we should all aim as far as possible to do without them - or keep them to a minimum (which I do), and concentrate on our food and lifestyle!

We do grow fruit and veg, catch our own fish - but not chickens or a cow - nor even the ale   . Even those with minimal garden could grow a few fresh veggies in pots in a yard

Hurdity x

[babyjane]

I agree with Hurdity and think that there is far too much health scaremongering these days which sends the 'worried well' scurrying to their GPs with the subsequent strain on the NHS.  A lot of it is common sense as H said, but the trouble is that there is a large proportion of today's generation who simply have not had the education regarding nutrition and health that we had naturally from lifestyle and education.

My husband and I were only saying yesterday how we would be outside from after breakfast until tea time during our school summer holidays and developed a gradual, natural sunkissed skintone from the constant exposure to sunlight.  We were not covered in sunblock or factor 50 before we went on the beach or in the sea although I can remember having to wear a hat.

My parents grew all their own fruit and vegetables and mum shopped daily for fresh fish and meat and made her own bread.  Husband's mother did not have the same domestic abilities or opportunities but still shopped daily for fresh, non processed foods. 

21st century living has evolved to be based on a stressed and frenetic lifestyle for a lot of people with rushed meals, convenience and fast foods and little outdoor time and so has come about the need for supplementation due to deficiencies.  A sensible approach is to be recommended but I don't like the scaremongering that comes into it these days.

My vitamin D levels were found to be low and I was advised to supplement but, for some reason, my body is not reacting well to the supplementation in the same way as I cannot take calcium supplements either.

[dazned]

Babyjane maybe when you and me played out all through the summer holidays without sunscreen there was no holes in the ozone       

[Elizabethrose]

My memories from childhood include regular extreme sunburn with blisters necessitating me sitting up all night on a dining room chair because I couldn't lay down! My red headed kids were spared that thank goodness so I am inordinately grateful for modern high factor suncreams.

As an adult I can cover up but as a child that was next to impossible. I was a long distance runner and sunny sports days were always my downfall. I think the only suncreams were Ambre Solaire factor 2. It was like rubbing myself in cooking fat!

Despite being out all day every day through childhood, I never developed a resistance to the sun and in fact have become even less tolerant than I once was. Joy!!