Ensuring you have adequate nutritional and Vitamin intake is of course important all year round but as winter looms closer, you may require an extra boost to fight off any threatening illnesses. 

Vitamin D, no not that D, is one example of a nutrient you may need a little extra help getting during the winter months. As daylight hours get sparser so does our natural source of vitamin D. When we get sunlight on our skin, our body produces a substance called cholecalciferol. This is then turned into calcidol and then calcitriol by the liver and kidneys. Calcitriol, the active form of Vitamin D, helps your body absorb Calcium and Phosphate, which are essential for bones, teeth and muscles. 

The NHS recommends babies up to the age of one year need 8.5-10mcg of vitamin D a day. Children from the age of one year and adults need 10mcg of vitamin D a day

It is estimated the body makes around 90% of the Vitamin D it needs when we absorb UV light from the sun and the additional 10% comes from our diet. Experts think that just 10 minutes of sunlight on your skin is enough to avoid a deficiency; but if you’re going to and leaving work in darkness, it may be tricky even getting this. 

A lack of vitamin D can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children, and bone pain caused by a condition called Osteomalacia in adults. You can ensure your getting enough by taking supplement or by including these foods in your diet:oily fish, such as salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel and fresh tuna, red meat, Liver, egg yolks and fortified foods, such as most fat spreads and some breakfast cereals.

Another vitamin you may want to stock up on for winter is Vitamin C. Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, has several important functions. These include; helping to protect cells and keeps them healthy, maintaining healthy skin, blood vessels, bones and cartilage helping with wound healing. 

The NHS recommends Adults need 40mg of vitamin C a day. You should be able to get all the vitamin C you need from your daily diet, providing you eat enough fruit and vegetables. Vitamin C is found in a wide variety of fruit and vegetables. Good sources include; oranges and orange juice, red and green peppers, strawberries , blackcurrants, broccoli, brussel sprouts and potatoes

 As Vitamin C can't be stored in the body, you need it in your diet every day.

Zinc is another winter essential. Zinc is a trace element that is necessary for a healthy immune system. A lack of zinc can make a person more susceptible to disease and illness, not ideal when everyone around you has the sniffles and heating systems are recirculating air.

Zinc is responsible for a number of functions in the human body, and it helps stimulate the activity of at least 100 different enzymes. Only a small intake of zinc is necessary to reap the benefits. However, just because it is only needed in small amounts, doesn’t make it any less important to the healthy function of our bodies. 

Adequate zinc intake is especially important for children because even mild zinc deficiency can impede growth, increase risk of infection, and increase risk of diarrhoea and respiratory disease.

The recommended intake for children 1-8 years old ranges from 3-5 milligrams, increasing as the child gets older.

Males 9-13 years old require 8 milligrams of zinc per day. After the age of 14, the requirement increases to the 11 milligrams per day that is required for all adult males. For females over the age of 8, the requirement stays stable at 8 milligrams per day, except for ages 14-18, where the recommendation increases to 9 milligrams per day.

 
Meat, shellfish. legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains are all excellent sources of Zinc and you can also supplement it in liquid form or in throat lozenges.

 

If you are worried about your health, try adding more veggies and wholefoods into your diet to keep you in top form, failing this you can always supplement. For more information, check out the NHS A-Z of vitamins and minerals by clicking onto; https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/or speak to member of the LF team.