We all crave a bit of vitamin D at some point, especially in the form of sunshine but do you know how much we should be getting per day?

When outside, “the body creates vitamin D from direct sunlight on the skin”, the NHS explains.

It can be more difficult to get enough vitamin D between October and early March when the amount of sunlight is reduced.

This is how much vitamin D you should be getting throughout the year, according to the NHS website.

Understanding vitamin D

How much vitamin D do you need per day?

From sunlight on your skin and a balanced diet, the majority of people should be able to get the vitamin D they need from late March/early April until September, roughly.

The NHS said: “Children from the age of 1 year and adults need 10 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin D a day. This includes pregnant and breastfeeding women, and people at risk of vitamin D deficiency.

“Babies up to the age of 1 year need 8.5 to 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day.”

It explained: “A microgram (mcg) is 1,000 times smaller than a milligram (mg). The word microgram is sometimes written with the Greek symbol μ followed by the letter g (μg).

“Sometimes the amount of vitamin D is expressed as International Units (IU). 1 microgram of vitamin D is equal to 40 IU. So 10 micrograms of vitamin D is equal to 400 IU.”

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Do you need to take a vitamin D supplement?

The NHS has issued advice for adults and children over the age of four years.

In the autumn and winter months, the sun isn’t strong enough to give our bodies all the vitamin D we need.

The NHS explains that a supplement could help with this: “But since it's difficult for people to get enough vitamin D from food alone, everyone (including pregnant and breastfeeding women) should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D during the autumn and winter.”

It says that people might not bother taking vitamin D in the warmer months.

It’s recommended by the Department of Health and Social Care that newborn babies to one year old should have a daily supplement of 8.5 to 10 micrograms of vitamin D year-round if they’re breastfed or formula-fed and are having less than 500ml (about a pint) of infant formula per day – this is because infant formula is already fortified with vitamin D.

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The NHS website adds: “Children aged 1 to 4 years old should be given a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D throughout the year.

“You can buy vitamin D supplements or vitamin drops containing vitamin D (for under 5s) at most pharmacies and supermarkets.

“Women and children who qualify for the Healthy Start scheme can get free supplements containing vitamin D.”

It’s important you don’t take too much vitamin D supplements over a long time as it can lead to too much calcium building up (hypercalcaemia) which can weaken bones and damage the kidneys and heart.