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Vitamin D is often referred to as the ‘sunshine vitamin’, because our body produces it when it is exposed to sunlight. Most people can produce enough vitamin D from sunlight from late March or early April to the end of September. But it's often difficult to get enough from the sun alone for the rest of the year.

Widely known as the sunshine vitamin, there is a reason vitamin D is so easy for our bodies to synthesise in the summer months — we need it for a huge variety of functions. Yet, chances are that you are low in it, since it is estimated around one billion people worldwide are deficient or have insufficient levels. So what is vitamin D? Interestingly, it is not simply a fat soluble vitamin that is produced endogenously when UV rays reach our skin at the correct angle, it is actually also a hormone. Its various forms have a range of names; including calcitriol, ergocalciferol, calcidiol, and cholecalciferol.

If you shun the sun, live in an area with low sunlight levels, avoid dairy products, or adhere to a strict vegan diet, you may be at risk for vitamin D deficiency. Known as the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D is produced by the body in response to skin being exposed to sunlight. It is also occurs naturally in a few foods, including some fish, fish liver oils, and egg yolks.