Vitamin D deficiency: How much of the sunshine vitamin you need to avoid the condition

If you are a person who tends to shun the sun, suffer from milk allergies, or adheres to a strict vegan diet, you may be at risk for vitamin D deficiency. Known as the sunshine vitamin, it is produced by the body in response to skin being exposed to sunlight. It also occurs naturally in a few foods including some fish and egg yolks but how much vitamin D should one be taking?

Taking the recommended amount of vitamin D is highly beneficial to one’s health but taking too much of the vitamin can be counterproductive with constipation being a sign of this.

Constipation is when somebody finds it difficult to empty their bowels, and it’s usually associated with hardened faeces.

Researchers from King Fahad Medical City, Saudi Arabia, confirm that “hypercalcemia is responsible for producing most of the symptoms of vitamin D toxicity”.

This “includes gastrointestinal disorders” such as “constipation and diarrhoea”.

Those most at risk of a vitamin D deficiency are the elderly, people that are overweight, and those that rarely venture outside.

Everyone should aim for between 8.5 and 10mcg of vitamin D in a single day, said the NHS.

During the winter months, the sun isn’t strong enough for your body to make vitamin D.

It’s therefore usually recommended that everyone takes vitamin D supplements during these months to increase the amount in their diet.