Well hello there summer!
Sun is shining, birds are singing. Last weekend I ran past a garden in which the occupants were hosting a barbecue, and where they had gone to the added courtesy of cutting the grass for the occasion. That, in my opinion, is the olfactory jackpot as far as quintessential British summers are concerned. Anyway, it got me thinking, as I pottered along, about micronutrient deficiency. Obviously.
A vitamin is typically defined as an essential compound which cannot be synthesised in the body. Vitamin D, however, is slightly unusual. Cholecalciferol, which is the dietary form of vitamin D, can actually be formed in the skin as a result of ultraviolet irradiation in the UV-B range of 7-dehydrocholesterol. Basically, and as we know, we can get it from basking in the sunshine as well as from what we eat. 20-30 minutes of sun exposure around midday three times weekly would provide 2000IU of vitamin D – which is thought to be sufficient to prevent deficiency.
Vitamin D deficiency can lead to a number of health-related issues. We know that it regulates the absorption and restricts losses of calcium. Low levels of vitamin D have been associated with osteomalacia – a skeletal disease associated with demineralisation of bone tissue. At younger ages it can lead to rickets and greater susceptibility to respiratory problems. Unfortunately for us Brits, vitamin D can only be synthesised from sunlight for part of the year, between April and September – when your shadow is shorter than you are.
All is not lost, however. There’s good news and bad news. The good news is that the body can absorb it from food where necessary. The bad news is that evolution of common lifestyles has rendered the UK population increasingly at risk of developing a deficiency. Even during summer months, technology based entertainment means that more time is spent indoors. To make matters somewhat worse, most good sources of vitamin D have now either been vilified as food sources or no longer feature in our weekly shop. Butter, for example, and offal, are brilliant sources of the vitamin but sales and consumption of both have declined.
So, how do we sort this out?
Well, by modifying what you eat, for a start. Butter is not the devil. Offal is actually really nice, once you figure out how to cook it. Stop taking the yolks out of your eggs. If we were meant to make egg white omelettes, chickens would be laying them that way. Oily fish is another great source of vitamin D, amongst other micronutrients. As with most things diet related, balance is key. Introduce these things in sensible portions and as part of a varied diet and you’ll not only mitigate your risk of vitamin D deficiency, you might also find some new recipes you wouldn’t have even entertained the thought of previously.
Additionally, you could spend more time outside. I’m not talking about baking your pasty, sun-starved frame on a sun lounger in Mallorca every day for a week straight. I mean to imply a more moderate approach to sun exposure, like going for a walk or mucking about in the garden / park for a bit. Burning yourself is a terrible strategy to achieve proper vitamin D status, so don’t be a tool about it. A lot of us, myself included, could do with spending more time outside. It’s good for the soul too. My mum says we should walk about barefoot (apparently it’s called grounding), but I don’t think that has anything to do with calcium regulation.
Cheers then,
LH
NB In rare cases, some infants can be sensitive to dietary increases in vitamin D – for example in fortified milk – and are at particular risk of developing toxicity. It is thought that this sensitivity is genetically predisposed. Further information can be obtained from your healthcare practitioner.
