Do Vitamin D Supplements Actually Work? Two Experts Weigh In

In the UK, everyone is recommended to take a vitamin D supplement throughout autumn and winter to support health and wellbeing, particularly bone health.

Additionally, the NHS states: “People at high risk of not getting enough vitamin D, all children aged 1 to 4, and all babies (unless they’re having more than 500ml of infant formula a day) should take a daily supplement throughout the year.”

However, how effective are these supplements and do we really need to take them every day?

In a recent ZOE podcast episode, Professor Tim Spector and Dr Federica Amati revealed the truth about Vitamin D.

Tim is scientific co-founder of ZOE and professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London. Federica is head nutritionist at ZOE and author of the Sunday Times bestseller ‘Every Body Should Know This’.

How effective are vitamin D supplements?

Dr Amati said: “From a public health perspective, there is little harm in recommending that certain patient groups take vitamin D to help them reach that healthy marker level that we feel would be good for them, basically.”

However, while the hosts agree that for many people, taking supplements is essential for their wellbeing in these months especially, there should also be a focus on getting vitamin D through the food we consume and our lifestyles.

Professor Spector said: “Well, most people know [vitamin D] it’s contained in dairy products, which a lot of people are already eating. So, milk, cheese, keffirs, yogurts, etc.

“Then it’s in oily fish and it’s in mushrooms. And they’re the key ones. And many people are not incorporating those in their diets.”

Dr Amati added: “If we think about it in proportions, I think up to about 30% of our requirements can come from the food we eat.”

Very interesting. 

However, food isn’t a one-stop shop for creating this vitamin and leaving the house is essential. Dr Amati explained: “Generally speaking, we can’t get enough [vitamin D] in food compared to what we need for our health. So we do need to get some sunlight exposure onto our skin to create vitamin D.”

Basically, don’t rely on supplements as a cure-all when there are natural sources to be found.

Foods that are high in vitamin D

The NHS states that the following foods are high in vitamin D:

• oily fish – such as salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel
• red meat
• liver (avoid liver if you are pregnant)
• egg yolks
• fortified foods – such as some fat spreads and breakfast cereals