Did you know.... getting a little sun is actually good for you?

As you may already know, getting too much sun is not good for you because it can cause skin cancer. However, spending some time in the sun is actually good for you because it helps your body make an important vitamin [1] called Vitamin D!

What is Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is a vitamin that helps the body absorb and keep the right amount of calcium [2] in the blood. This helps the body make strong bones. Vitamin D is also called the "sunshine" vitamin because the body makes it after being in the sun. In fact, the body gets 80% to 90% of its Vitamin D from sunlight!

Are you getting enough Vitamin D?

Here are some groups of people who may not be getting enough Vitamin D:

• People with dark skin. The darker a person's skin, the more of a substance called melanin [3] they have. The more melanin a person has in their skin, the less Vitamin D their body is able to produce.

• People over the age of 50. The older a person gets, the less efficiently their bodies can produce Vitamin D.

• People who get limited sun exposure. This includes those who spend most of their time inside, live in northern regions of the word, or consistently wear clothing that covers the majority of their skin (like in some religions).

• People who are obese or have undergone gastric bypass surgery. The more body fat a person has, the less likely Vitamin D will be released into their bodies.

• Babies who are primarily breastfed. Vitamin D requirements cannot be met by human milk alone. Breastfeeding your infant can be associated with nutritional rickets [4], particularly in African American babies. If you are going to breastfeed your infant, it is important to also make sure your infant is getting 400 IU of Vitamin D per day, through multivitamins or over-the-counter [5] liquid drops.
It is not recommended that everyone get tested to see if they are getting enough Vitamin D, but if you fit into one of the groups above, ask your doctor for a Vitamin D test.

What are some ways you can get more Vitamin D?

• In general, if you get ten to 15 minutes of sunshine three times a week (without wearing sunscreen), you should be getting enough Vitamin D. However, this depends on things like race, age, and time of year. The sun has to hit your skin to absorb Vitamin D so if possible wear short sleeves or short pants. If enough Vitamin D is made during long sunny summer days it will last during the cold days of winter that have fewer hours of sunlight. There is no need to go out in shorts during winter!

• Eating foods that have vitamin D such as oily fish (mackerel, bluefish, salmon, canned tuna), eggs, and fortified milk. However, even eating a diet rich in these foods is usually not enough to give you enough Vitamin D. You should also try to get outdoors whenever possible.

• Taking Vitamin D3 supplements [6]. Vitamin D supplements come in two forms: Vitamin D2 and Vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 is shown to do a better job at keeping Vitamin D in your body for a longer period of time.

Did You Know? Is a series of health articles written by HHPC and reviewed by our Health Advisory Board.