We all know the benefits of being out in the sun. It gives us a high dose of (crucial-to-our-health) vitamin D, which is important for our mood, energy, sleep, bone health, immunity, etc, etc. It’s such a vital vitamin that if we don’t get enough of it, we really feel the consequences. Sadly, these days, it’s known that just about everyone in the UK is vitamin D deficient (or has suboptimal levels), probably a consequence of the amount of time we spend indoors, but also our diet and lifetstyles.
What I didn’t know is, vitamin D status is also related to the balance of the microbiome. Three exposures to outdoor light per week significantly increased serum vitamin D levels, but additionally, microbiome diversity. And in the winter, vitamin D supplementation worked as a good alternative to outdoor exposure.
This is great news, because microbiome diversity, like good vitamin D status, is connected with better health outcomes.
You can learn more about the study here:
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2019.02410/full
It’s important, however, to check your vitamin D status before supplementing. Vitamin D at too high levels can be toxic.
Get in touch with your GP, or a health practitioner qualified in nutrition, who will be able to help advise you on testing and correct dosing.
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