Vitamin D and the Sun
March 29th, 2007When we think about taking our vitamins we usually imagine taking them in the form of supplement pills or from the foods we eat but what about vitamin D?Vitamin D can come from some foods like milk but the easiest way to get your daily dose of vitamin D is to step into the sunlight. When the sun touches our bare, unprotected skin our body actually makes vitamin D. So although many people talk about the dangers of spending time in the sun, the healthy production of vitamin D and the sun go hand in hand. So avoiding the sun completely might not be such a good idea especially since we need a daily dose of vitamin D just like we need to take our other vitamins.
Although it is important to protect the skin during long periods of exposure to the sun, permanent protection from the sun is just not healthy. Even 10-15 minutes of unprotected exposure to the sun each day is enough to give the body an adequatedose of vitamin D. The ironic thing about using sunscreen to protect your body from potential sun cancer is that by not getting enough sunlight on your unprotected skin can lead to the formation of other types of cancer in your body.
Scientific studies have shown a deficiency in vitamin D has been linked to cancer formation in the colon, prostate, breast and other areas within the body. Vitamin D has also been seen to help suffers of diabetes and heart disease. As new studies are being performed we can see that not getting enough vitamin D can lead to problems that not only cause cancer but numerous other conditions in the body that could be fixed or at least the severity reduced by spending relatively short but regular periods in direct sunlight. I do not spend an enormous amount of time in the sun but I do notice I get a little run down if my body does not get some regular time in the sun. Even after just a 30 minute spell in the sun I can feel an improvement in my energy level and a greater sense of well being.
The key to adequate and safe sun exposure is just like most things in life. Do not over do it, you can spend a moderate amount of time in the sun but over exposure to UV rays can really burn your skin and lead to sun cancers that often do not appear on your body for sometimes more than 20 years. It has been revealed that much of the sun damage your skin gets is in your teenage years yet the skin cancers may not appear till you are in your 40s, 50s or even older. Moderation is the key and if your have particularly fair skin you will not be able to spend as much time as those with more olive or brown skin. As nice as it is to have a healthy sun tan, too much sun will probably turn you red more than brown and cause you more harm than good.
Over the last few years many studies have been performed on people who have unexplained pain and often when these patients have been given blood tests a deficiency in vitamin D has been detected. When many of these patients have been given Vitamin D supplementation or increased their exposure to the sun in short but regular blocks of time they have noticed a reduction in pain or in some cases, complete freedom from these unexplained pains that often reside in the muscles and bones.
How much exposure to the sun each day to get the required daily amount of vitamin D depends on a number of factors. The lighter a persons skin the less time they need to spend in the sun. It also depends on the time of day and the time of year it is. In the summer of a hot country a light skinned person could get enough daily vitamin D in a matter of a few minutes during the middle of the day or around 10-15 minutes early in the morning or later in the afternoon. A person with olive or darker skin would have to spend longer periods in the sun to get the required intake ofvitamin D each day but certainly not hours. In colder climates or where the sun is not very strong it may be necessary for individuals to take a supplemental form of vitamin D. Many multivitamin supplements have around 400iu of vitamin D in each capsule and depending on your age and sex the daily requirement seems to be around 400-800iu per day. You can also take in vitamin D in the form of cod liver oil and from a number of different kinds of fatty fish like salmon and sardines. Fortified milk is another valuable source ofvitamin D if you can’t get some quality sun time.
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