Most people can get everything they need from a healthy balanced diet. We don't generally need to take supplements, except from vitamin D. This is important for bone and muscle health. Your body makes vitamin D, in your skin, when your skin is exposed to sunshine. We can't make vitamin D ourselves in winter and even in summer, Scotland is not always as sunny as we need.
We don't get enough of the right type of sunshine through the winter. Therefore, your body can't meet your vitamin D needs. That's why we encourage everyone in Scotland to take a 10μg (10 micrograms) vitamin D supplement.Â
Because vitamin D is only found in small amounts of some foods, it can difficult to get enough from your diet.Â
- Look for 10 microgram tablets and take one each day. The label may say 10mcg, 10 µg or 400 International Units or 400 IU
There are some groups of people who are more vulnerable to vitamin D deficiency than others that should take a vitamin D supplement all year round. For more information, you can visit the main Food Standards Scotland site:
Vitamin D | Food Standards Scotland
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