Lorraine: Dr Amir says spine could shrink if deficient in vitamin D

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Vitamin D is a crucial vitamin for your body to function healthily and during the winter you may need to take a supplement to keep your vitamin D levels topped up. However, make sure you are taking the recommended amount and not giving yourself too much of the ‘sunshine vitamin’. Here are the side effects of vitamin D explained.

Now the skies outside are turning grey, everyone is talking about adding Vitamin D – the ‘sunshine vitamin’ to their diet.

Our bodies create vitamin D from sunshine, but during the winter months in the UK there isn’t strong enough sunlight for us to create vitamin D on our own.

You can get some vitamin D from your diet, if you eat vitamin D rich foods, but in Britain, everyone over the age of four is advised to take a vitamin D supplement by the NHS.

Vitamin D helps to strengthen your bones, teeth and muscles.

Vitamin D also helps your body to absorb calcium better.

In children, severe vitamin D deficiency can result in developing rickets.

For adults, vitamin D deficiency can lead to a condition called osteomalacia, where your bones become softer.

The NHS recommends taking a supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D every day from October to March if you live in Britain.

But what are the risks of having too much vitamin D?

Because people are now much more aware of the benefits of vitamin D, many more people are taking vitamin D supplements.

However, researchers from Harvard Medical School have warned some people are now overdoing it as far as vitamin D is concerned.

Dr JoAnn E Manson, Professor of Women’s Health at Harvard Medical School, said: “more is not necessarily better. In fact, more can be worse.”

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Although vitamin D is known for strengthening bones, one study showed older women who took too much vitamin D, suffered more fractures.

In the most extreme cases, an overdose of vitamin D can even be toxic.

Vitamin D helps your body to absorb calcium, but in very large quantities it can lead to a condition called hypercalcemia.

This is a condition where too much calcium builds up in your blood and you risk forming calcium deposits in your arteries.

So, if you choose to take a vitamin D supplement, the advice is to keep it in moderation and do not exceed the recommended amount.

Make sure to read the label on your supplements carefully and follow the instructions for use, including how many to take and how often to take them.

If you notice anything that concerns you while you’re using vitamin D supplements, stop taking them and go to see your doctor who can advise you.

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