Normally, this is the time of year when we start to come out of hibernation. We shed coats, cardigans and opaque tights and let the spring sunshine warm our skin — giving a much-needed boost to our vitamin D levels.
Our bodies make vitamin D when skin is exposed to UV light from the sun, hence its being known as the “sunshine vitamin”. It is essential for bone health, and has also been linked with many other benefits, such as a lower risk of heart disease and improved immune function.
A paper published in the Irish Medical Journal this month even backed vitamin D supplements as a way to “mitigate the grave public health risks associated with Covid-19 infection” on the basis that low vitamin