What is Vitamin D?
Vitamin D is a unique vitamin that is made from cholesterol in your skin when it is exposed to the sun.
Benefits of Vitamin D include :
- Regulation of calcium and phosphate in the body which are necessary nutrients to keep bones teeth and muscles healthy.
- Supporting immune, brain, and nervous system health.
- Regulating insulin levels and supporting diabetes management.
- Supporting lung function and cardiovascular health.
Only a handful of foods contain significant amounts of vitamin d :cod liver oil, swordfish, salmon, canned tuna, beef liver, egg yolks and sardines. Even then, you would need to eat them nearly every day to get enough vitamin D. Supplements like cod liver oil may also be of benefit. One tablespoon (14 grams) of cod liver oil contains more than three times the recommended daily amount of vitamin D.
A sunlight deficiency can result in :
- Osteoporosis
- Cancer
- Depression
- Muscle weakness
Adequate sunlight is necessary to maintain optimal vitamin d levels. UVB rays which are responsible for vitamin D production cannot penetrate through windows, so people who work next to sunny windows are still prone to vitamin D deficiency.
When and How to get Vitamin D
Midday is the best time to get sunlight. At noon, the sun is at its highest point, and its UVB rays are most intense. That means you need less time in the sun to make sufficient vitamin D. Many studies also show that the body is most efficient at making vitamin D at noon. Not only is getting vitamin D around midday more efficient, but it might also be safer than getting sun later in the day. One study found that afternoon sun exposure may increase the risk of dangerous skin cancers.
You need to expose a sufficient amount of skin to sunlight to maintain healthy vitamin D blood levels. 10–30 minutes three times per week is sufficient depending on your skin tone.
Precautions
While sunlight is necessary for vitamin d and to maintain optimal health too much of it is not a good thing either. Consequences of too much sunlight may include:
- Sunburns
- Eye damage
- Aging skin
- Skin changes
- Heat stroke
- Skin cancer
People generally use sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher to protect their skin against sunburns and other damaging effects of over exposure to the sun. That’s because sunscreen contains chemicals that either reflect, absorb or scatter sunlight. When this happens, the skin is exposed to lower levels of harmful UV rays. However, because UVB rays are essential for making vitamin D, sunscreen could also prevent the skin from producing it.
In summary, as is the case with most things, it is important to maintain a healthy balance between sun exposure and deficiency.