Vitamin D pills - they're a no-brainer

When I was a kid my mum insisted on giving me a daily desert spoon-full of cod liver oil.  "It will do you good," I was assured.  It tasted revolting. 

As soon as I was old enough to assert my will, I resolved never to take any unnecessary dietary supplements and rely on a healthy diet of proper food. Consequently, I have resisted all well-meaning advice to swallow multi-vitamin pills, glucosamine, manuka honey, green tea extract, multi-vitality fruits, or any of the other pills, potions and concoctions that line the shelves of health food shops.

Like everyone else, I do (of course) resort to medication when I'm unwell, but I'm generally blessed with good health and feel it unnecessary to supplement my diet 'just in case'.  Or rather, I felt it unnecessary.

The guy in the picture above is Dr John Campbell. I regularly view his YouTube channel and he has convinced me that I should be taking vitamin D supplements. Vitamin D is known as the Sunshine Vitamin, since our bodies naturally produce it when we are exposed to sunlight. Unfortunately for us, sunlight is in short supply in the winter, leading to vitamin D deficiency. This, in turn, heightens our susceptibility to colorectal cancer, osteoporosis and (most importantly in the current pandemic) to viral infection. Moreover, there is an increasing amount of scientific data to suggest that a high level of vitamin D in the blood dramatically reduces the probability of serious complications arising from COVID-19 infection. Of course, I don't wish to fall victim to COVID-19 in the first place, but if I am infected then I really don't wish to be seriously ill. So supplementing my diet with vitamin D tablets has been a 'no brainer'. 

The NHS recommends that white-skinned adults take 10µg (10 micrograms) of vitamin D during the winter months. Darker-skinned people should take more, as their bodies are less efficient at producing vitamin D from sunlight. I therefore ordered a bottle of 10µg tablets from Holland & Barrett and have been swallowing one every day at breakfast time. 

Dr Campbell, however, argues strongly that this is insufficient. One scientific study that he highlights has found that taking 50µg per day would help nearly everyone reach a good level of vitamin D in the blood.  Since "nearly everyone" presumably includes dark-skinned adults, I've concluded that 20µg is probably sufficient for me in the winter months, and perhaps 10µg in the summer, so I'm upping my dose.  I may be wrong, but if feels like a sensible compromise.

Incidentally, there is no point in taking more than 50µg as the blood will not absorb any more; indeed taking excessive amounts might be dangerous. 

A spectacularly colourful lockdown

I'm getting rather good at lockdowns. Effortlessly, I've resumed my former practice of going for a long(ish) walk every two days, and fussing around the house on the other day.  No monotony; something to look forward to each day.  And, as in the last lockdown, the weather is being kind – so kind that my central heating doesn't even switch itself on in the mornings. 

With each passing day the autumn beauty of the Forest of Dean intensifies. Time and again it stops me in my tracks and makes me reach for my camera. 

Here I am, early in Autumn, with my friend Bridget's faithful dog Skipper. I would never want a dog of my own, but Skipper is gorgeous. Every time he sees me arriving at Bridget's home he runs to greet me, for the arrival of Angie inevitably means walkies!

Not all these photos are from 'Skipper Walks', but I think he features once more.

Near Moseley Green

Near Central Bridge, on the former Mineral Loop of the Severn & Wye Railway. 

Further along the Mineral Loop

Blackpool Brook

Mallards Pike lake

Blakeney Hill Woods

Blakeney Hill Woods again. 

Is that Skipper in the middle distance? Hard to tell.

As we made our way down through the Woods, Bridget and I began to reminisce about (of all things) the Church of England's old Prayer Book Evensong, which I haven't sung for many a long year. Unprompted, I started off the singing...

O Lord, open Thou our lips
and our mouth shall show forth thy praise.
O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be; world without end. Amen
Praise ye the Lord.
The Lord's Name be praised.

Anyone hearing us would doubtless have diagnosed insanity, but we didn't care. On autumn days like these one may well feel the need to thank somebody.