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Importantly, reno-protective and cardio-protective effects of this analog have been recently evaluated by means of randomized clinical trials in renal patients with partially positive renal effects and negative cardiac results, thus additional studies are needed for confirmation.

The clinical activity of some vitamin D analogs is such that they can be employed in diseases like cancer and autoimmunity. In summary, available drugs with vitamin D like activity are not all the same either in terms of pharmacological actions, and side-effects.

They have specific characteristics that may be useful to know in order to operate the best choice in the individual patient. Abstract Numerous drugs with vitamin D activity are available for clinical use and it may not be easy for the nonspecialist to select the most suitable for the individual patient. Publication types Review.

The Department of Health and Social Care recommends that adults and children over 4 take a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D throughout the year if they:. If you have dark skin — for example you have an African, African-Caribbean or south Asian background — you may also not make enough vitamin D from sunlight.

You should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D throughout the year. The Department of Health and Social Care recommends that babies from birth to 1 year of age should have a daily supplement containing 8. Children aged 1 to 4 years old should be given a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D throughout the year.

You can buy vitamin D supplements or vitamin drops containing vitamin D for under 5s at most pharmacies and supermarkets. Women and children who qualify for the Healthy Start scheme can get free supplements containing vitamin D. See the Healthy Start website for more information. Taking too many vitamin D supplements over a long period of time can cause too much calcium to build up in the body hypercalcaemia.

This can weaken the bones and damage the kidneys and the heart. If you choose to take vitamin D supplements, 10 micrograms a day will be enough for most people. Do not take more than micrograms 4, IU of vitamin D a day as it could be harmful.

This applies to adults, including pregnant and breastfeeding women and the elderly, and children aged 11 to 17 years. Experts agree it's the one vitamin we should all be taking in the UK, especially during the winter months.

This is because vitamin D plays a key role in our immune and bone health, and we can't get enough from the sun between October and March. It's also hard to get enough from diet alone.

Find out why vitamin D is important, how much you need to take, which vitamin D supplements are cheapest and what your options are, and whether it really can boost your immune system. Vitamin D is important for bones, muscles and teeth. This is because it helps you absorb calcium and phosphorous from food.

A deficiency can cause weakened bones — this can lead to rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. Vitamin D also plays an important role in keeping your immune system functioning properly. This is especially important over the winter when there are more colds and bugs going around. At the start of the pandemic there was a lot of buzz around whether vitamin D could be helpful for preventing or treating coronavirus.

Now that the existing research has been thoroughly reviewed, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence NICE and Cochrane have concluded that there isn't currently enough evidence to support taking vitamin D solely to prevent or treat Covid The research did show that people with low levels of vitamin D suffered worse outcomes of Covid, but it's not clear whether the vitamin D caused the poorer outcomes or the poorer outcomes caused the low levels as a result of an inflammatory response to the coronavirus infection.

Either way, we do know that vitamin D is important for our immune health and that it's common for people to be deficient in the UK — something likely to have been exacerbated by the lockdowns and limitations of the Covid pandemic. So it's one vitamin worth taking. The best reusable face masks and coverings — we reveal the masks that filter efficiently, are breathable and comfortable to wear.

Vitamin D is sometimes referred to as the 'sunshine vitamin' as our bodies make it for themselves when exposed to the sun.

The government advises that five to 15 minutes in the sun before 11am or after 3pm without sunscreen, and with forearms and lower legs uncovered, should be enough for our bodies to make the vitamin D we need for the day. But during the winter months we don't get enough sun or the correct wavelength of UV radiation to make vitamin D in the UK.

This includes pregnant and breastfeeding women. Breastfed babies should also take between 8. What's the best baby and child supplement? Some foods, such as cereals, yoghurt drinks and mushrooms are also fortified with vitamin D, but it's still worth opting for a supplement to ensure you get enough each day.

Best Buy sun creams — top protection for when you are out in the sun, and the products to avoid. The NHS says 10mcg a day is enough for most of the population to avoid a deficiency. However there are supplements widely available that contain much higher doses.

Supplements containing 25, 50 and mcg are also available, with around 25mcg a common 'high strength' option from supermarkets, discounters and pharmacies.

The NHS advises the following upper safety limits:. If you have a diagnosed deficiency often an incidental finding on a blood test , your doctor might prescribe you a course of high-dose vitamin D, but only for a short period. Taking too much vitamin D over a long period of time can cause calcium to build up in the body which can actually weaken bones and damage your heart and kidneys. This is known as hypercalcaemia.

Some people are at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency. If you are in one of these groups the NHS recommends you take a vitamin D supplement all year around.