Vitamin D test: should UK men get one this winter?

Published 10 November 2026 · Matt O'Brien

Three ordinary fictional men standing on a leafy pavement by a brick wall in a UK town on a bright winter morning, looking towards the low sun: a younger Black man with twists in an olive work jacket, a heavier-set middle aged white man with a ginger beard in a grey hoodie and orange hi-vis vest, and an older East Asian man with white hair and glasses in a navy gilet and burgundy jumper

Short answer: for most men in the UK, probably not. NICE advises against routine vitamin D testing unless someone has symptoms of deficiency, is at particularly high risk, or there is a clinical reason, such as a fall. For everyone else, the NHS advice this winter is simpler: consider a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D.

Why winter raises the question

The NHS vitamin D page explains that vitamin D helps regulate calcium and phosphate, which keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy. Your body makes it from direct sunlight on your skin. From about late March or early April to the end of September, most people make all they need that way. Between October and early March, we do not.

That is why the NHS says everyone should consider a daily 10 microgram supplement during autumn and winter. Oily fish, red meat and egg yolks help, but the NHS says it is difficult to get enough from food alone.

That advice does not say get a blood test first. It applies to everyone, so a test result would not normally change it.

When a test does make sense

NICE's public health guidance on vitamin D (PH56) says health professionals should not routinely test people's vitamin D status unless:

they have symptoms of deficiency
they are at particularly high risk of deficiency, for example because they get very little sunlight
there is a clinical reason, for example osteomalacia or a fall

So the useful question for your GP is not "can I have my vitamin D checked?" but "could this symptom or situation be relevant?" The NHS says a lack of vitamin D can cause bone pain in adults, from a condition called osteomalacia.

Our blood tests hub explains what a blood test can and cannot tell you.

Men who may need it all year

The NHS says some people should take a 10 microgram supplement all year because they get little or no sunshine on their skin. That includes men who:

are not often outdoors, for example if they are frail or housebound
live in an institution such as a care home
usually wear clothes that cover most of their skin outdoors

The NHS adds that if you have dark skin, for example an African, African-Caribbean or south Asian background, you may not make enough vitamin D from sunlight either. That applies to a man of 25 as much as a man of 75.

None of these on its own means you need a test. It means the year-round advice may apply to you.

What a low reading does and does not mean

When Public Health England published its vitamin D advice in 2016, it said survey data from 2008 to 2012 showed 23% of adults aged 19 to 64 had low levels of vitamin D in their blood. It added that this is not the same as a deficiency, but means a greater risk of one. Someone who is deficient is clinically unwell and needs treating by a doctor.

A low reading is not a diagnosis, and a shop supplement is not a treatment plan. If you already have results, our guide to reading results covers the questions worth asking.

More is not better

The NHS says 10 micrograms a day is enough for most people, and adults should not take more than 100 micrograms (4,000 IU) a day. Too much over a long period can cause calcium to build up, which can weaken bones and damage the kidneys and heart. Some conditions mean you may not be able to take as much safely, so ask your doctor if in doubt. Our seasonal vitamin D guide explains how to read the units on a label.

Winter sun will not top up your vitamin D, but there are still good reasons for getting outside.

From Matt

In Get Your Life Back I write: "The useful result is an honest answer that changes what you do next." I also suggest you "Record what happened, follow any clinical instructions, and choose when you will look again." If a vitamin D test would not change what you do, the supplement advice is your next step, not the test.

When to get help

See a GP if you have bone pain, have had a fall, or have symptoms you are worried about, whatever your age. If a doctor has given you a vitamin D plan, follow it. If you are unsure where to turn, NHS 111 can help. I'm not a clinician, so talk to your GP about anything specific to you.

Sources

Last updated 10 November 2026.