The Power of Vitamin D: Sunlight and your Health

With the sun out so much during the summertime, it’s your prime time to absorb the most natural version of Vitamin D, the sun!

It is known that the sun is responsible for a sun-kissed summer glow, but it is important to learn the internal benefits that are needed all year round. Vitamin D is crucial for bone health, calcium absorption, immune support, reduction of inflammation, and cell growth. Decreased Vitamin D has been connected to increased risk of heart diseases such as stroke, heart failure, and hypertension. It is important to use the benefits of the sun during the months we have most access to it.

The body absorbs Vitamin D when the ultraviolet rays from the sun hit our skin. The skin absorbs this form of Vitamin D3 into the liver and kidneys to form the usable Vitamin D that the body requires.

Sunlight has been proven to be the most reliable, optimal, and natural way for our bodies to absorb Vitamin D. If your hands, face, neck and arms are exposed, it only takes 5-30 minutes of direct sunlight to produce the necessary daily amount of Vitamin D. These rules also differ depending on where you live. In a location such as Florida, just 3 minutes can result in reaching the daily recommended Vitamin D level. This time can be reached by walking your dog, eating a meal outdoors, going on a jog, moving your yoga mat outside, or even completing work assignments if given the chance. SPF is still important to protect the skin from toxic levels of UV radiation. No more than 30 minutes should be spent in direct sunlight without the use of SPF.

Vitamin D supplements are helpful for those lacking natural sunlight due to environmental and physical limitations. Dietary sources are also a great option which include fatty fish, lean protein, eggs, and dairy products labeled “Vitamin D fortified”. With consumption of Vitamin D there are risks of toxicity, so it is important to know how much your body requires daily based on your age, sex, and health status.

Finding out you have a Vitamin D deficiency would increase this daily value. It is important to be cautious of the development of a Vitamin D deficiency since it is linked to the risk of other diseases to follow. Becoming aware and educated on your Vitamin D requirements is beneficial to your overall health status and an excuse to spend more time out in the sun over the summer months.

Resources:

1.     https://www.bcm.edu/news/how-to-get-vitamin-d-without-spending-too-much-time-in-the-sun#:~:text=%E2%80%9CYou%20don't%20need%20to,necessary%20amount%20of%20vitamin%20D.

2.     https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8299926/

3.     https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10239563/ 

4.     https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/161618#dosage