Benefits of Vitamin D

Vitamin D receives a lot of research attention because deficiency is prevalent worldwide, and low levels can have wide-ranging effects. People of all ages and with many different conditions can be at risk for deficiency. Let’s learn more about how vitamin D benefits us

Do You Get Vitamin D From Being in the Sun? 

Our bodies make vitamin D, which is actually more like a hormone than a vitamin when our skin is exposed to sunlight. 

This is why people who spend a lot of time indoors or live at higher latitudes are more likely to be deficient in vitamin D. It is also harder for your skin to make vitamin D while wearing sunscreen. 

Prevalence of skin cancer has encouraged the recommendation to limit direct sun exposure, but this recommendation may have inadvertently caused vitamin D deficiency to become more prevalent. The key is being balanced.

Short-term sun exposure to make vitamin D is important. Between five and 30 minutes of sunlight directly on the skin between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on the face, arms, legs, or back twice weekly is recommended by the National Institutes of Health.