Vitabiotics donates Vitamin D supplements for staff at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital

Vitabiotics has supplied staff at ROH with 600 bottles of their popular vitamin D supplements.

The Multi Minority Ethnic Group (MMEG) staff network has worked with supplements brand, Vitabiotics, to arrange a donation of Ultra Vitamin D Gummies for staff.

Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones, teeth and muscles. It helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body and a lack of vitamin D can lead to bone pain, fatigue and weakness.

Good sources of vitamin D include direct sunlight on the skin and a small number of foods (oily fish, red meat, egg yolks).

During the autumn and winter, the sun is not strong enough in the UK for the body to make vitamin D which means we need to get extra help from dietary supplements. While everyone should consider taking a supplement, there are certain groups that the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) recommends take a daily supplement of vitamin D throughout the year.

These groups include:

People who have dark skin – for example you have may have an African, African-Caribbean or South Asian background. For these groups, the exposure requirements are more challenging to achieve here in the UK.
People who are not often outdoors – for example if they are housebound or spend long hours working indoors
People who cover up most of their skin when outdoors

Vitabiotics have been providing the public with well-researched and highly effective vitamins for over 50 years. They provide various vitamin complexes specifically tailored for women, men, over 50s, teenagers, children and babies. The company, run by Dragon’s Den’s Tej Lalvani, say their goal is “helping you to be at your best, day-after-day and whatever life throws at you.”

The MMEG staff network provides a space for colleagues to talk about issues important to staff from ethnic minority backgrounds with an aim of creating positive change. This donation from Vitabiotics comes as part of the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital’s celebration of Black History Month 2023, with a theme this year of Saluting Our Sisters.

Find out more about Black History Month and how you can get involved here: Black History Month 2023 - Celebrating our Sisters and learn more about the benefits of vitamin D here: Vitamin D - NHS (www.nhs.uk)