The NHS has issued a health alert, advising the public to start taking a 2p pill daily from this month to maintain good health and help reduce the chances of dementia.
The health service announced on X that people should be popping a vitamin D supplement every day to reap significant benefits.
They stated: "From October to March we can't make enough vitamin D from sunlight. To keep bones and muscles healthy, it's best to take a daily 10 microgram supplement of vitamin D. You can get vitamin D from most pharmacies and retailers."
With the cost of 400 vitamin D pills being less than £8 online, the daily expense works out at under 2p. Moreover, vitamin D is thought to play a role in reducing dementia risk, Surrey Live reports.
A French study indicated that individuals with vitamin D levels below 50 nmol/L had almost triple the chance of developing Alzheimer's disease. Groups particularly vulnerable to vitamin D deficiency include all children aged 1 to 4, and infants who are not consuming over 500ml of infant formula per day; these groups are advised to take a daily supplement throughout the year.
The NHS explains: "Vitamin D helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. These nutrients are needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy. A lack of vitamin D can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children, and bone pain caused by a condition called osteomalacia in adults.
"Government advice is that everyone should consider taking a daily vitamin D supplement during the autumn and winter. 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."
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The late Dr Michael Mosley, an expert in the field, was a strong advocate for vitamin D supplements. He once stated: "I take 25 mcg (1,000 IU), which is within the limits of what's considered safe (anything under 100 mcg a day for adults or 50 mcg for children, according to the NHS) but closer to the sort of doses studies show you need to take to ward off infections, cancers, and maybe even dementia."
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