With some studies suggesting 50% of the UK isn't getting enough vitamin D3, you're right to be concerned you might be deficient in this vital nutrient. Low vitamin D levels can have a significant impact on the health of your bones and muscles, and affect your immune system and even your brain function. The good news? Topping up your levels is super easy, you just need to take a supplement. But is this the best way to boost your levels and which type of supplement is best? A vitamin d tablet or patch? Find out more here:
Why are patches better to prevent vitamin D deficiency than a vitamin D tablet?
Taking a high oral dose vitamin d tablet often leads to much of the vitamin being excreted, because your body can’t utilise high concentrations of a vitamin in one go, and much of the good stuff won’t make it through your gut.
Our patches work differently, delivering the vitamin D3 transdermally, through the skin. The nutrients are drip-fed into your body gradually, which bypasses the stomach and liver. This means much more vitamin D will make it into your bloodstream, your levels will rise, and you’ll be able to feel the benefit.
How well your body can absorb oral supplements is a consideration for everyone, but especially important if you have gut issues like IBS, Crohn's, or ulcerative colitis where your gut only absorbs a fraction of the nutrients you're swallowing.
Is soaking up the sun a good alternative to a vitamin D supplement?
Catching some sun doesn’t offer guaranteed protection from vitamin D deficiency, but it will contribute to your levels. The best time to do this in the UK at the moment (summer) is at midday when UV levels are at their highest. You only need 13 minutes of midday sunlight exposure in the summertime. BUT, you'll need to make sure you’ve got your trunk, upper arms, and face exposed for the best results. Impossible if you're at work, or you don't have a garden and don't fancy letting it all hang out in a public place.
It's also a fine balance to make sure you don't harm or prematurely age your skin with damaging UV rays. Many of us sensibly wear high-factor sunscreen, to keep harmful free radicals at bay, but this also prevents your skin from doing its thing and producing vitamin D.
Finally, there actually needs to be some sunshine – not always a given in the UK! Far easier to pop on a patch as part of your routine all year round (or take a vitamin D tablet). That way you have the peace of mind you're providing your body with a consistent daily dose of vitamin D.
What about eating vitamin D-rich food?
Consuming foods rich in vitamin D is a great way to bump up your intake. But if you've got any kind of gut issues this is a non-starter. Increasing your D levels through diet is also not ideal if you're veggie or vegan, because the best food sources of vitamin D are oily fish, like salmon, mackerel, and sardines, egg yolks, red meat, and liver.
Lots of foods are fortified with vitamin D, for example, breakfast cereals, plant milks, and butter. But if you're trying to avoid ultra-processed foods you might want to swerve these and might prefer a vitamin D tablet or use a patch instead.
To find out more about Vitamin D, read the first part of this blog here.