• The best way to boost your vitamin D is to get out and about during the winter - go for a walk at lunchtime when UV levels are highest. But always wear a sunscreen when skiing - UV levels are much higher at high altitudes.

  • Talk to a health professional before taking a vitamin D supplement. Although it is difficult to actually get too much vitamin D, it is harmful in very high doses - the side effects range from nausea and weakness to kidney and heart failure.

  • Don't use the health benefits of vitamin D as an excuse for getting a tan in summer - skin cancer is a major health hazard. Vitamin D is made most efficiently by brief, frequent sun exposures. It is broken down by too much sun.

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