09/11/2026
Between October and early March, you cannot make enough vitamin D from sunlight in the UK. There simply isn't enough of it.
Which is why the NHS advises that everyone should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D through the autumn and winter.
Why it matters: vitamin D helps your body regulate calcium and phosphate, and those keep your bones, teeth and muscles healthy. Go short for long enough and it causes rickets in children and a condition called osteomalacia in adults — bone pain, essentially.
Some people are advised to take it all year round, not just now:
If you're not often outdoors, or you live in a care home
If you usually wear clothes that cover most of your skin outdoors
If you have dark skin — the NHS names African, African-Caribbean and south Asian backgrounds
Children aged 1 to 4, and most babies under 1
And the bit nobody mentions: more is not better. 10 micrograms is enough for most people, and adults shouldn't go above 100 micrograms a day — taking too much over time causes calcium to build up and can damage your bones, kidneys and heart.
If you're on the Healthy Start scheme, the supplements are free.
Not sure which one to buy? Ask any of our pharmacists. It's a two-minute conversation and we'd rather you got the right one.
All of the above is NHS guidance — nhs.uk has the full page.
