Vitamins are necessary for our normal body functions. Some vitamins are offered in pill form, and we can get enough of them through the foods we eat or in supplement form. But one vitamin comes directly from exposure to sunlight, and that is vitamin D.
Getting Enough Vitamin D
The body requires vitamin D in large amounts, and it is virtually impossible to get enough without exposure to sunlight. You would have to drink at least 10 8-ounce glasses of milk every day to get even close to the necessary amount for optimal body functions. Although sunscreen is important for preventing conditions such as skin cancer, even a low-level sunscreen can block the absorption of rays necessary to produce vitamin D in the body. Human beings can synthesize vitamin D3 from exposing themselves to moderate levels of sunlight. When you expose your body to ultraviolet rays, free of barriers such as car windows or other glass surfaces, your body will absorb the rays and produce vitamin D3.
Body Functions
Vitamin D3 is important for all sorts of bodily functions, including bone density and muscle strength. High levels of vitamin D contribute to the overall health and wellness of the bones and the musculature of the human body. When people do not receive enough vitamin D3, they might suffer from a host of problems, including the bone disease, osteoporosis.
Lack of Vitamin D
According to the National Library of Medicine, "vitamin D deficiency not only cause rickets among children, but also precipitates and exacerbates osteoporosis among adults and causes the painful bone disease osteomalcia." The lack of vitamin D has also been linked to cardiovascular disease, cancer, and multiple sclerosis, to name a few medical conditions.
Skin Cancer
There has been some speculation that the skin cancer battle has gone too far the other way. Because sunscreens block out the good rays as well as the bad, many people do not get the vitamin D necessary to maintain healthful levels, and may suffer unnecessary health consequences. In order to benefit from sunlight, fair-skinned people need to be in full sunlight for as little as 10 minutes per day at midday, whereas darker skinned people need about twice as long to generate healthy levels of vitamin D.
Amount
The Mayo Clinic suggests that adults get 200 international units (IU) of vitamin D per day, and 400 to 600 for those older than 50. For newborns the recommended amount, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, is 400 IU per day and 600 IU per day, if over the age of 70. In the winter, it may be necessary to take as much as 2000 IUs of vitamin D to maintain healthy levels. If you have limited exposure to sunlight, especially in the winter, take a supplement to receive the required amount.
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