With summer creeping in, people will be looking to get out a little more and make the most of good weather while it's here.
However, it may be worth considering what vitamins you're taking, as with more sunlight, you might not need quite as much vitamin D supplementation. And likewise, you may want to bump up the number of vitamins you're taking elsewhere, such as Vitamin C which can help shield you from pollutants in the outside air.
With that in mind, Public Health Nutritionist Dr Emma Derbyshire from the Health & Food Supplements Information Service (HSIS) has named some vitamins we should prioritise.
According to the expert, these four vitamin groups may be worth taking as summer weather continues to creep in.
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin C
- B vitamins
- Folate
You may be getting more sunlight now but it is still important to maintain good levels of vitamin D.
"Levels of vitamin D will be low at the end of the winter and moving into spring," says the Public Health Nutritionist. Dr Emma Derbyshire from the Health & Food Supplements Information Service (HSIS).
"Vitamin D is important for the absorption of calcium and healthy bones and teeth as well as for immune function.
"The UK government recommends that we all take a 10 microgram daily supplement throughout the year but especially in winter through to spring."
Similarly, Vitamin C is important as you will be spending more time outside with more exposure to the outside air.
"Vitamin C protects cells from the oxidative damage caused by pollutants. [It] also helps with the absorption of iron," says the expert. "Many women are short of iron particularly during their reproductive years so boosting vitamin C intake helps to reduce the risk of iron deficiency and the tiredness and fatigues that can cause."
You can find it in citrus fruits, tomatoes and peppers as well as multivitamin and multimineral supplements
B vitamins include thiamin (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2) and vitamin B6, niacin (vitamin B3), pantothenic acid, vitamin B6 (also known as pyridoxine) and biotin (vitamin B7).
And though it is a B vitamin, it is important to look at vitamin B12 independently, says Derbyshire, as it impacts so many different aspects of our health.
"Vitamin B12 is essential for several issues we need help with in the spring – from immune function to tiredness and fatigue.
"Spring is also a time when you might decide to cut back on the stodgier foods of winter. You might opt for a plant-rich diet which is healthy but if you cut out meat and other animal-source foods you are at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency."
"Folate is vital for immune function which may have taken a battering by springtime. It’s also important for reducing tiredness and fatigue,” says Derbyshire.
"Top up your levels by eating kale, broccoli, spinach, chickpeas and a supplement containing folic acid."
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