Soak up 'sunshine vitamin' without feeling the burn

Vitamin D is vital but there are many more healthier ways to absorb it than relying on basking in the harmful summer UV rays, as Nicola Elliott explains in her regular wellness column

- Nicola Elliott

Such are the health benefits of vitamin D, official NHS guidelines now advise us to supplement the "sunshine vitamin" from September to April but, despite the sun making an appearance at last, many of us aren’t getting enough in the summer either. Apparently, more than half of us are deficient – even when there is a mini-heatwave happening.

It’s a tricky balance getting enough vitamin D from the sun (our main source) for the suggested 5-30 minutes without sunscreen, while also protecting your skin from harmful UV rays. I definitely wouldn’t want to go out with no sunscreen for half an hour in the full beam of summer sun. The deficiency issue is compounded by the fact that our bodies can’t store vitamin D.