(File photo/CKOM News Staff)

By CKOM News

U of S professor recommends Vitamin D supplement for boost in the winter

Dec 7, 2020 | 10:55 AM

In the winter months, it can be difficult to get the Vitamin D we need.

That’s why Dr. Susan Whiting, distinguished professor in the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition at the University of Saskatchewan, recommends taking a supplement.

“There’s really very few ways to get Vitamin D in the winter, other than a supplement,” she said.

Whiting said if you are low in Vitamin D, your immune system will not work as well.

“When you live up here at our latitude, it does take longer to make Vitamin D,” she said, “Then if you happen to wear a lot of clothes or use sunscreen, there’s a lot of reasons why, even in the summer, people might be low on Vitamin D.”

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Besides making a protein for your immune system, Vitamin D is also used to absorb calcium, which is especially important for growing children and older adults.

Those one year or older need 600 international units (IU) of the vitamin a day, while those older than 70 need 800 IUs daily.

“Just to give you an idea, our current food supply gives us about 200 IUs,” Whiting said. “So that’s why I am saying in the winter there’s no way you could keep your Vitamin D stores up.”