Vitamin D3

The low rising sun in winter increases the risk of vitamin D deficiency

Did you know that the body's ability to produce vitamin D decreases in the cold season because the sun is lower than in the summer? This is one of the reasons why the risk of vitamin D deficiency increases in the winter period in Nordic countries. However, there are several ways to prevent vitamin D deficiency.

The main source of vitamin D is the sun, and the rest comes from food. However, during the winter months, there is not enough sunlight to provide the body with the necessary amount of vitamin D. The altitude of the sun affects the penetration of ultraviolet rays into the skin.

That's why it's recommended to include vitamin D in your diet in winter. Seafood makes up a third of your vitamin D intake, but fat and vitamin D-fortified dairy products like milk and yogurt are also important sources.

Swedish Food Safety Authority 2010/2011 carried out a study on dietary habits by Riksmaten, which showed that it can be difficult to get enough vitamin D from food. In particular, it is more difficult for younger people to get adequate levels of vitamin D, especially young women, who have high nutrient needs. According to the study, young people and women are getting less vitamin D, folate and iron than recommended.

Important for bones

- Vitamin D, among other things, contributes to the support of the immune system and normal bone structure, - says Emil Olden, food agronomist and one of the founders of BioSalma.

- Today there are different opinions about how vitamin D was discovered and what its significance is for the body, but it all started with connections with the English disease - rickets - a disease of vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D plays a key role because it affects the cells of the intestinal lining, making it easier for calcium to enter the bones, says Emil Olden.

Older people need more vitamin D

According to the National Food Administration, the recommended amount of vitamin D is 10 micrograms per day. A higher dose of 20 micrograms is recommended for people over 75 and those who spend little time in the sun. But today there are different opinions about what is appropriate.

Some scientists believe that the doses recommended by the National Food Administration are the absolute minimum. The standards were raised a couple of years ago when new research showed that people in Nordic countries need to get twice as much vitamin D to maintain adequate levels of the vitamin in the sunless winter months.

Vitamin D reserves are highest after sunny summer days, and lowest in February and March.

- In order for vitamin D to be produced in the skin, it must be exposed to the sun's ultraviolet rays, which only happens when the sun is at least 45 degrees above the horizon.

This is not a problem for people closer to the equator, but in the northern part of the world the sun is only high enough for a few hours each day. In the winter months, when there is little sun, UV rays do not penetrate the atmosphere and the body does not produce vitamin D, says Emil Olden.

Difficult to restock

From October to the end of March, you can't count on the sun to replenish your vitamin D stores. If you want to know if the sun is high enough to produce vitamin D, you can look at your shadow when you're outside. If your shadow is as long or longer than you are, vitamin D is not produced in the skin.

"If the shadow is longer than yourself, the skin does not produce vitamin D."

– The body produces vitamin D when you are in the sun and are exposed to UV rays. You don't have to be outside long in the summer for this to happen. For a fair-skinned person, it is enough to spend 30 minutes at noon in the sun, which would illuminate the face or hands. People with darker pigments take longer, they may need 5-10 times longer exposure to the sun to get the same effect. You won't get the same effect in winter. This is because the sun does not penetrate the atmosphere in winter as much as in summer, says Emil Olden.

But he also points out that UV rays reach us whether it's sunny or cloudy. So we replenish our vitamin D reserves not only on a sunny summer day, but also on cloudy summer days.

BioSalma Vitamin D3- family formula

BioSalma salmon oil capsules with vitamin D3 are made in a patented way, preserving the unique nutrients of Norwegian salmon and the natural and highly effective antioxidant astaxanthin. The capsules have been made small for easy swallowing and the vitamin D content is suitable for both children and adults. Vitamin D is fat-soluble, which means that the vitamin D added to salmon oil is optimally absorbed by the body. The oil is processed from fresh, Norwegian salmon.

Vitamin D3 with turmeric and ginger

This vitamin D3 formula is highly concentrated (62.5µg) and contains turmeric and ginger extracts (C3 complex®). The concentrate contains as much as 95% curcuminoids, whose positive effects on the body have been written about in several scientific articles.