Public Health England stress importance of Vitamin D during lockdown
Public Health England – latest notification on Vitamin D
Covid-19 has changed all our lives substantially, and made us cherish all the more our freedoms….to go out and about when we please, to eat a convivial meal with friends …things which we take for granted often, but are fundamental to our wellbeing.
As I write, we are still in the middle of lockdown, and journeys out to the shops or for a walk in the park or a little break in the great outdoors are either banned completely or strictly on a ‘needs must’ basis. It’s not surprising, therefore that Public Health England has recently re-iterated that we need to get our 10 micrograms per day of Vitamin D!
Vitamin D is sometimes known as the ‘sunshine vitamin’ because it can be obtained by the action of sunlight on the skin, and so in normal times the majority of British people get all that they need. It’s an important vitamin because it works with calcium to maintain the mineralization of the bones. Deficiency can lead to rickets, when the bones become so deformed that they cannot support the body weight.
The other way to get Vitamin D is through the diet, and this is important for people who can’t get out too much – the self-isolating, the elderly, certain ethnicities whose clothing means they are covered up, and pregnant and lactating women, whose needs are higher.
Yet few foods are naturally rich in Vitamin D, so it mostly arrives through fortification.
The Laughing Cow ® can really help here….: The Laughing Cow Nutrient Fortified is a 1kg tub, and a single serving of 40g can provide 100% of an adult RI for Vitamin D. It’s smooth, tasty and creamy and ideal for thickening soups or adding some ‘oomph’ to omelettes. Or for a little top-up, a single 17.5g portion of the Laughing Cow® Cheese squares contains 32% of an adults Reference Intake: both products are rich in calcium too, and so are an easy and appetizing way to add a little extra nutrition to your meals.
Stay well, stay safe, eat well.