Vitamin D, sunshine and our health are closely connected, but perhaps not quite in the way we thought a few years ago.
Back in 2020, vitamin D suddenly became a hot topic. There was a great deal of discussion about whether it could protect us from COVID-19, whether low vitamin D levels made infection more dangerous, and whether taking high doses might help.
Several years on, we know rather more.
Vitamin D is certainly important. It plays a crucial role in maintaining our bones and muscles, helps us absorb calcium and can become particularly relevant as we grow older.
But it is not a miracle cure, and more is definitely not always better.
So, let's untangle the sunshine from the science.
What does vitamin D actually do?
Vitamin D helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in our bodies. These nutrients are needed to keep our bones, teeth and muscles healthy.
Without adequate vitamin D, we do not absorb calcium effectively.
Over time, vitamin D deficiency can contribute to bone problems and muscle weakness. In adults, severe deficiency can cause osteomalacia, where the bones become softer and painful. Low vitamin D may also contribute to muscle weakness, falls and fractures, something that becomes increasingly significant in later life.
And this is one of the reasons I believe we need to think about health before a crisis happens.
A fall, a fracture or a period of immobility can have a much greater impact at 75 or 85 than it might at 35.
Prevention may not be terribly glamorous, but neither is spending six weeks in plaster.
The wonderful thing is that our bodies can make vitamin D
One of our main sources of vitamin D is sunlight.
When ultraviolet B, or UVB, light reaches the skin, it starts a process that allows the body to produce vitamin D.
Melanin helps determine our skin colour and offers some natural protection from ultraviolet radiation.
In the UK, most people should be able to make sufficient vitamin D from sunlight between around late March or early April and the end of September. Between October and early March, sunlight in the UK generally does not contain enough UVB for us to make the vitamin D we require.
Of course, this does not mean roasting yourself in the sun!
Skin damage and skin cancer remain very real concerns. Enjoy being outside, allow your body some exposure to daylight and sunshine, but avoid burning and protect your skin when you are outdoors for longer periods.
How much vitamin D do we need?
Current UK guidance is refreshingly simple.
Adults and children over one year need around 10 micrograms of vitamin D each day.
That is equivalent to 400 IU.
The NHS recommends that everyone considers taking a daily 10 microgram vitamin D supplement during the autumn and winter months.
Some people should consider taking vitamin D throughout the year, particularly those who:
-
spend very little time outdoors
-
are frail or housebound
-
live in residential or care settings
-
usually cover most of their skin when outside
-
have darker skin, including people from African, African-Caribbean or South Asian backgrounds.
Babies and young children have slightly different recommendations, so parents and carers should follow current NHS guidance.
You can read the current NHS guidance on vitamin D.
Maintaining adequate vitamin D is still important for bone and muscle health, irrespective of any other reason.
Sometimes good health advice is less dramatic than the headlines.
It is still good advice.
Can I simply take a large dose?
Please don't assume that because something is a vitamin it is automatically harmless.
Vitamin D is fat soluble, which means excessive amounts can accumulate in the body.
Taking too much over a prolonged period can cause too much calcium to build up in the blood, known as hypercalcaemia. This can weaken bones and potentially damage the kidneys and heart.
The NHS advises adults not to take more than 100 micrograms or 4,000 IU of vitamin D per day unless they have specifically been advised to do so by a healthcare professional.
If you have been diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency, your doctor may prescribe a different dose for a period of time.
That is treatment rather than general supplementation.
Vitamin D is only one piece of the health puzzle
This is perhaps the bigger message I want to leave you with.
It is very easy to focus on the latest vitamin, supplement or health headline and miss the bigger picture.
-
How is your overall health?
-
Are you moving enough?
-
Are you eating well?
-
Are you sleeping?
-
How is your muscle strength?
-
Are you getting outside?
-
Do you know what medication and supplements you take and why?
Have you had unexplained tiredness, weakness, pain or changes in your health that you have quietly learned to live with?
And importantly, would somebody else know the answers if you suddenly became unwell?
Get your health information organised
One of the simplest things you can do for yourself and your family is to have your important medical information recorded in one place.
I created my free Medical History Form for exactly this reason.
It helps you record the important information that could be needed by a doctor, hospital, ambulance crew or family member, including your medical history, medication and other essential health information.
Keep a completed copy somewhere accessible and make sure someone you trust knows where it is.
You can find the free Medical History Form and other practical resources through Aligned Later Life. Get My Medical History Form HERE
It is one of those jobs that is very easy to put off.
Until the day you desperately wish you hadn't.
Want to look at the bigger picture of your health?
Vitamin D is a useful example of why health in later life deserves more than simply reacting when something goes wrong.
Health is also one of the foundations we explore in my Foundations for an Aligned Later Life, or FALL, Masterclass Series.
In Week 2: Health, Empower Your Quality of Life, we look at the relationship between physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, where you may be able to support yourself more fully, and how to begin creating a personalised plan for your long-term health.
Because ageing well isn't about trying to avoid ageing.
It is about giving yourself the strongest possible foundations from which to live it.
You can learn more about the programme and join the waitlist here:
Foundations for an Aligned Later Life Masterclasses
And finally, enjoy the sunshine
-
Go outside.
-
Move your body.
-
Notice the warmth on your skin.
-
Breathe some fresh air.
-
Listen to the birds.
-
Have your cup of tea in the garden instead of automatically sitting indoors.
Sunshine isn't simply about vitamin D. Getting outdoors gives us movement, stimulation, contact with nature and, quite often, a change in perspective too.
We cannot control every aspect of our future health.
But there is an enormous amount we can influence.
And small, sensible actions taken today can make a considerable difference to the person we become tomorrow.
To a long and healthy life filled with opportunities,
Gayle Palmer
Registered Osteopath
Aligned Later Life Creator
© Aligned Later Life 2026
Watch this as a video on the YouTube Channel, and subscribe whilst you are there:
Comments