Vitamin D is sometimes called the ‘sunshine vitamin’, because the best source of the vitamin is from sunlight. In fact, sunlight on the skin allows the body to produce vitamin D itself.

From June to August in the UK, getting an average of 15 minutes a day of sunlight on bare skin (for example bare arms, legs and face) should be enough for most people to get their recommended daily amount of vitamin D.

However, in the UK we can’t rely on sunshine alone to get all the vitamin D we need, certainly not all year round. And while there are foods containing vitamin D, it’s difficult to meet the recommended daily amount simply from what you eat.

Because vitamin D is so important for bone health, Public Health England, a body which advises the government on health matters, says we should all take daily supplements, for at least part of the year.

In the autumn and winter months, everyone should consider taking a 10 microgram vitamin D supplement every day.

While most people will be able to get enough vitamin D from a combination of sunlight and a healthy diet through the spring and summer months, this is not the case for everyone.

The following groups of people are advised to take supplements all-year round:

Those who don’t go outside enough, for example people who are housebound or live in a care home

Anyone who wears clothes which cover the whole of the body and/or the face

Ethnic minority groups with dark skin, including people from African, Afro-Caribbean and South Asian backgrounds, because people with dark skin pigmentation are less able to absorb vitamin D through the skin.