(Image source from: healthline.com)

Vitamin D supplements are recommended by the public health officials during the lockdown.

There are mounting questions about whether Vitamin D should be consumed to prevent the attack of the coronavirus. Here is the advice from the Scientific Advisory Commission on Nutrition and health watchdog the National Institute of Healthcare and Excellence.

With more people staying indoors during the pandemic, some of you may be deprived of Vitamin D due to a lack of exposure to sunlight.

The NHS says that people should consider using 10 micrograms of Vitamin D every day if they are not at all stepping out during the day.

Before the pandemic, people in the UK were already advised to take Vitamin D supplements from March to October 2020.

Public Health England recommends the use of Vitamin D throughout the year if you are not often outdoors, or you usually wear clothes that mostly cover up your skin.

Moreover, people with dark skin may not be getting enough Vitamin D. So, they must taking supplements throughout the year.

There is evidence that Black, Asian and minority ethnic people have a higher risk of getting seriously ill with the coronavirus.

Why do we need Vitamin D?

                     (Image source from: nbcnews.com)

Vitamin D is important for healthy bones, teeth, and muscles. Lack of this vitamin can lead to bone deformities and rickets in children. Adults can also be affected by Osteomalacia.

There are also suggestions that Vitamin D boosts immunity and fights off infections.

Studies such that adequate Vitamin D helps prevent common colds and flu.

Can Vitamin D prevent COVID-19?

A review by NICE states that there is no evidence to support that taking Vitamin D supplements can prevent the attack of coronavirus.

But, experts think that consuming them will have additional health benefits during the pandemic that will keep the people healthy and give the ability to tackle the infections.

Although Vitamin D supplements are healthy for your body, consuming more than what you need to can cause side effects.

Here’s how you should take the supplements based on age:

• Children aged 1 to 10 should not have more than 50 micrograms a day.
• Infants under 12 months should not have more than 25 micrograms a day.
• Adults should not have more than 100 micrograms a day.

Higher doses may sometimes be recommended by doctors if you have more vitamin deficiency.

Vitamin D supplements are widely available in supermarkets and in pharmacies. The ingredient listed on the supplement would be D3, the one made by your skin.

Eating a well-balanced diet is also important in addition to taking the vitamin D supplements for a healthy body.

By Gayatri Yellayi