What Vitamins Does One Get From the Sunshine?
Many people go to great lengths to avoid the sun, covering themselves with sunblock, layers of clothes, and avoiding the sun as much as possible. The sun provides essential vitamins, which help our bodies stay healthy and strong. That doesn't mean we should spend our days baking in the heat of the day, but you can spend some time getting what you need from the sun without any damage.
The Sun
There is no denying that the sun can cause skin cancer. Using sunblock and avoiding the sun can help prevent skin cancer, but the body needs some sun exposure to create essential vitamins in the body, mainly vitamin D. Wellnessletter.com, from UC Berkeley, finds that research shows small amounts of sun exposure may lower the risks of certain cancers, and also keep bones strong. It also reminds us that using sunblock shuts down the body's abilities to create vitamin D from the sun. They suggest 10 to 15 minutes of sunlight during the middle of the day, several times a week, depending on the time of year, to obtain sufficient amounts of sunlight to create vitamin D.
Vitamin D
The Mayo Clinic states that vitamin D is found in many dietary sources, such as milk and fish, but the sun contributes a significant amount to the daily production of vitamin D. Vitamin D refers to several different forms of the vitamin that are essential to humans, which are vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 is synthesized, or made, when skin is exposed to the sun. Vitamin D maintains blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. It also absorbs calcium, which helps form strong bones. Rickets, a disease most commonly associated with lack of vitamin D, causes skeletal deformities.
Recent Studies
U.S. News makes note of studies done in 2008 published in the Archives of Internal Medicine that show those with low vitamin D levels had double the risk of dying from heart disease and other causes, than those with higher vitamin D levels. One reason cited for lower levels of vitamin D was lack of outdoor activity.
Daily Recommendation
The government's dietary recommendation for vitamin D is 200 IUs daily up to age 50, 400 IUs daily up to age 70, and 600 IUs daily over 70. U.S. News finds that many experts feel these recommendations are too low to maintain healthy vitamin D levels. They suggest up to 2,000 IUs during the winter months and daily sunshine in the summer.
Warning
Overexposure to the sun can cause sunburn and potentially skin cancer. Kotz, of the U.S. News, notes that more studies need to be done to determine exact amounts of sun exposure, and for different skin types, the time may fluctuate. Wellnessletter.com warns that supplements can be dangerous, because overdose of vitamin D is toxic, leading to kidney stones, kidney failure, muscle and bone problems and other ailments. They claim that over 2,000 IUs daily could lead to overdose.
Tags: skin cancer, vitamin levels, vitamin Vitamin, amounts exposure, create vitamin, daily daily, Does From