3p pill we all should have started taking six weeks ago

3p pill we all should have started taking six weeks ago If you haven't already started taking this, it's wise to begin now According to health experts, people throughout the UK should have started taking a daily pill some six weeks ago. Supplementation is essential from 1 October if we want to maintain optimal health and fitness, Government experts have said. As per NHS guidance, Vitamin D is crucial for maintaining healthy bones, teeth and muscles - and a lack of this vital vitamin can result in bone deformities such as rickets in children, and a debilitating condition called osteomalacia, or "soft bones", in adults. Throughout the summer months, most people can obtain sufficient vitamin D from sunlight, with the vitamin playing a critical role in regulating calcium and phosphate levels in the body. Symptoms of osteomalacia and rickets Symptoms of rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults also include swollen, painful wrists; alterations in walking patterns; difficulty ascending stairs or rising from a chair due to weak muscles; pain in your back, shoulder, ribs, pelvis or legs; tingling, cramping or twitching of your muscles; and fracturing your bones more frequently or following a minor accident, particularly your hips, lower back and feet. Children with rickets may be smaller than average for their age and their teeth may emerge later than normal. Government health experts recommend everyone take a daily supplement from October 1 until early March. NHS guidance also advises that children aged one to four, and babies who are not consuming more than 500ml of infant formula daily, should take a supplement year-round. Children aged one and over, alongside adults, need 10 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin D each day. This includes pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as those at risk of vitamin D deficiency. According to NHS guidance, a 10 microgram vitamin D supplement is sufficient throughout autumn and winter. Vitamin D and Covid-19 risk The NHS also said: "There have been some reports about vitamin D reducing the risk of coronavirus (Covid-19). But there is currently not enough evidence to support taking vitamin D solely to prevent or treat Covid-19." The Department of Health and Social Care recommends that babies up to one year old should have a daily supplement containing 8.5 to 10 micrograms of vitamin D throughout the year, whether breastfed or formula-fed and consuming less than 500ml (approximately a pint) of infant formula daily. Vitamin D tablets are readily available from many retailers from around 3p per pill.