Breakthrough Snack Launches to Tackle Vitamin D Deficiency among the UK’s Multi-Ethnic population.
Red Orchard is a breakthrough product in food technology delivering 100% vitamin D* in the form of a tasty snack. Until now most Vitamin D supplements have only been available in pills, powders, drops, sprays and tablets.
Red Orchard delivers 100% of your recommended Daily allowance of Vitamin D in a delicious organic gel snack. Each 40g pouch contains less than 20 calories per serving with no added sugar, it is a convenient and delicious way to boost Vitamin D intake and can fit anywhere from gym bags to handbags to child’s lunch boxes. The product is particularly popular with busy parents, mums and dads have found it to be a really great way to keep their children’s vitamin intake topped up.
Vitamin D is unlike any other vitamin in that it acts like a hormone because every cell in the human body has a receptor for it. It is produced naturally when the skin is exposed to sunlight through sunshine however in the UK the lack of regular and direct sunshine means that its population is not able to get vitamin D from sunshine alone. According to Public Health England as much as 90% of the multi-ethnic population are suffering from a Vitamin D deficiency, which is why the NHS recommends that every man, woman and child supplement their vitamin D consumption.
“At Red Orchard we feel the problems that arise from deficiencies are completely avoidable if we find new ways to improve the experience of healthy nutrition. Nutrition shouldn’t be a chore it should be a treat - and preferably strawberry flavoured!” - Abdul Hakeem Hashi, Director of Red Orchard
Red Orchard is available in a delicious strawberry flavour and is 100% Organic, approved by The Soil Association, approved by The Vegetarian Society and produced in the UK.
Read What Do Africans Like To Drink?
Health And Well Being
There is a lot to consider in our lives on a daily basis when considering our health and well being. More knowledge is made available to us through increasingly more relevant medical research. The community is then made aware of this information through public information marketing campaigns. Relevant for this article is that ethnic group specific data gathering on health is recorded. This can be for positive benefits to the community. The methods of research and data is accessible for independent checking and critical thinking. The people at Red Orchard have taken time to look at this subject.
For the individual this is good to know. It is hard work though. This increased awareness on top of a bombardment of other pressures like our environment and our immediate climate can lead to information overload. It is not surprising that life can seem to be overwhelming. What do we do? Firstly we consider our priorities. Anything that reduces our stress must be a priority. A lack of vitamin D from not spending enough time out doors or eating the right food is an issue we should be aware of and make a change to our live to correct.
Those at risk of vitamin D deficiency are those with dark skin. It can have long lasting effects on an individual if we do not correct the imbalance in not have this vitamin in our bodies. The information is out there see Low vitamin D levels linked to increased multiple sclerosis risk. The good news is we can do something about it and if there are easy solutions to correct this health concern with little effort let us do it. Red Orchard's new product boosts Vitamin D intake.
Vitamin D Deficiency
Problems arising from vitamin D deficiency include fatigue, depressed mood and bone and muscle pain. The development or worsening of skeletal disorders ‒ such as osteoporosis in adults and rickets in children. So note if you suffer from the following, especially during winter.
- Bone pain, sometimes also felt as joint pain
- Muscle pain
- Mood changes such as a depressed mood
Visit Your Doctor
To confirm a suspected diagnosis of vitamin D deficiency, one’s doctor will perform a blood test (called 25-hydroxy vitamin D test) , measuring the serum 25(OH)D levels in the blood. This will determine whether a person has sufficient or insufficient levels of vitamin D. This result can be different at different times of the year.
The recommended daily intake of vitamin D is:
400 IU (international units) for children under one year
600 IU for children, teens and adults up to age 70
800 IU for pregnant people and adults over the age of 71
Read Trying Ethnic Food, African And Caribbean Part 2
Prevention With Food
Eat the following
- Oily fish. Trout, salmon, herring, sardines, pilchards, kippers, tuna
- Cod liver oil. This contains a large amount of vitamin D and should not be taken in conjunction with supplements containing vitamin D
- Fortified dairy products. Dairy-based spreads and cheese
The body can, itself, make vitamin D from its resources of cholesterol. To do this, it needs access to sunlight. Vitamin D can be found in certain foods, such as fatty fish. (However, it is rare for a person to gain all the vitamin D that their body needs from food alone.)
Ideal Time To Take Vitamin D?
Taking vitamin D with a meal can enhance its absorption and increase blood levels more efficiently.
Other Solutions. Consider Making Trips To The Countryside
We need to spend longer times outside too, such as with groups like wildinthecity.org.uk who are celebrating people of colour in nature. A significant risk factor for vitamin D deficiency is lack of exposure to the sun, spending long parts of the day inside, wearing clothes that cover up most of your body and having darker skin. See News analysis: Health claims about vitamin D examined. You may want to consider jobs or more leisure time outside if you have darker skin and live in the UK.
Average hours of daylight in Britain through out the year goes from 8 hours a day in January and December to 16 hours in June, July and August.
So the final word from Red Orchard....
Red Orchard's new product, a convenient and delicious gel snack which boosts Vitamin D intake and can fit anywhere from gym bags to handbags to child’s lunch boxes. The product is particularly popular for busy parents, mothers and fathers have found it to be a really great way to keep their children’s vitamin intake topped up.
Notes
Red Orchard has already been selected as a finalist for Best New Organic food product 2019 at the Natural & Organic Products Awards Europe and was a finalist in the Just Imagine If campaign for supporting the UN sustainable development goals.
Leslie
West Africa Cooks
Editor
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