Sun exposure

The sun is our best natural source of vitamin D. When the sun’s ultraviolet B (UVB) rays hit our skin, processes inside the tissue start making vitamin D for the body to use.

The best part is that excessive sun exposure does not pose any risk of vitamin D toxicity. That's because your body regulates the amount of vitamin D produced by sunlight.

It is essential to remember, however, that too much sun exposure can burn the skin and potentially lead to skin cancer.

Many factors affect how much vitamin D a person can synthesize from sun exposure, such as season and latitude, skin cover-up, skin pigmentation, mature skin, air pollution etc. In fact, the many factors affecting vitamin D synthesis makes it impossible to specify a specific sun exposure guideline that applies to everyone. In the subsequent section, we provide more information on specific factors influencing your status.

Season and latitude

Especially important are the season and latitude of where you live (below a latitude of approximately 40° North, UVB radiation is sufficient for vitamin D3 synthesis all year round. At higher latitudes, vitamin D3 is not produced during the winter months. Then, increased vitamin D intake through diet is especially important.

40° North Sufficient for less than 6 months of the years

Sufficient for more than 6-9 months of the year

Equator Sufficient for most of the year

Sufficient for more than 6-9 months of the year

Sufficient for less than 6 months of the year 40° South

Sufficient for less than 6 months of the year

Sufficient for more than 6-9 months of the year

Sufficient for most of the year

Skin pigmentation

Darker skin filters out more UV radiation than light skin does, which means that darker skin requires more time in the sun but on the other hand is less sensitive to UV-induced damage.

Sunscreen

Vitamin D deficiency is not uncommon in tropical countries, sunny all year round. One of the reasons is excessive precautions and the use of sunscreen. If you use sunscreen spf 15, you need to be in the sun 8 times as long. Use the shadow rule – you make more vitamin D when you are taller than your shadow.

Another factor is that as you get older, it takes longer to create vitamin D. Obese people need more time in the sun.

Due to the fact that there are so many factors that affect vitamin D production in the skin, it is not possible to specify a specific time that applies to everyone. There are many apps and websites on the market that measure sun exposure based on your location, time of day, degree of clouds and air pollution, skin type etc.

Even if a short moment of direct sunlight is enough, many people do not get sufficient sun.

Then a dietary supplement could be necessary. Check your vitamin D status to be sure.

Diet

Dietary vitamin D3 sources are limited, and thus achieving the recommended intake through diet alone could be challenging.
There are, however, a few foods that contain enough of vitamin D3.

Fatty fish has the greatest vitamin D3 content of any food, while smaller amounts can also be found in meat, eggs, mushrooms, and dairy products. The proportion of vitamin D3 in food varies widely and depends on both seasonal factors and the individual food itself. In some countries, certain foods are fortified with vitamin D3, including milk, yoghurt, margarine, cereals, and fruit juices. While vitamin D3 comes from skin synthesis or animal sources, the less important vitamin D2 is derived from supplements or irradiated foods.

Vitamin D content in 100 grams of the food source:

Food	Amount vitamin D3
Salmon	10-16 µg
Sardines	7 µg
Eggs	3 µg
Cod	1.3 µg
Portobello mushroom	0.4 µg
Cow's milk	0.08 µg
Breast milk	0.01-0.12 µg

In order to reach the recommended intake of vitamin D3 through diet alone, you would have to consume significant amounts of Vitamin D3-rich food sources every day. On days where you do not consume fish, reaching 10 μg vitamin D3 would require a consumption of 7-8 eggs, or 40 portobello mushrooms!

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