As colder weather and shorter daylight hours approach, a GP has highlighted the importance of maintaining vitamin D levels and has recommended one food in particular to include in your weekly diet.
Dr Kafi Omar told the Express that as it gets "cooler and there's less sun", the thing you want to be doing is optimising your vitamin D intake. The majority of vitamin D is obtained from sunlight, meaning that during the winter months, when daylight hours are shorter and people spend more time indoors, it can be harder to get enough.
Oily fish recommended once or twice a week
While supplements are readily available from pharmacies and supermarkets, Dr Kafi highlighted oily fish as a particularly good dietary source. "One thing I recommend to all patients is having vitamin supplementation, over the counter ideally, as the majority of vitamin D is obtained from the sun, and we don't get that in abundance," he said.
"You get that from your oily fish as well, so oily fish once or twice a week. You get your omega-3 and vitamin D from that." Oily fish is one of the best natural dietary sources of vitamin D, with salmon, herring and mackerel among some of the top choices for this nutrient.
Other dietary advice for the colder months
As well as boosting vitamin D intake, Dr Kafi advises having "lots of protein to support the immune system and support muscle growth, as you're generally a lot more inactive" during the colder seasons. He also recommends getting your five-a-day to maintain vitamin C intake and staying hydrated.
To summarise, he said: "A varied, balanced diet, protein, vitamin D supplementation, oily fish for your omega-3 and vitamin D as well, and hydration is what I recommend."
"It's just about optimising and tinkering slightly with what you are already doing, and making sure you're getting a good diet, a good amount of exercise, smoking cessation, reducing your alcohol and making sure you're having a non-sedentary lifestyle."
