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How Much Sun Exposure Do You Need To Get Enough Vitamin D?
Vitamin D is very important for our skin, hair, and bone health. Studies show, though we have a natural resource of obtaining it, many adults have vitamin D deficiency. The most natural way to get enough vitamin D is sunlight, but too much sunlight can harm your skin.
In this blog I will tell you about natural and sustainable sources of vitamin D, and how much sun exposure you need while protecting your skin. But first, let’s learn why vitamin D is so important for our skin and the consequences of vitamin D deficiency.
Why Is Vitamin D Important?
This vitamin is so essential to make our body function well. It helps your gut to absorb calcium and phosphorus which are responsible for making your bones stronger. It also helps regulate your immune system and the neuromuscular system, which means it improves your immunity and brain function. Apart from that it also plays a major role in the life cycle of human cells.
How does the human body produce vitamin D?
The human body is self-sufficient to produce vitamin D. All it needs is plenty of sunlight. Cholesterol in your skin makes vitamin D when ultraviolet B (UVB) rays hit it. That’s why getting enough sunlight is very important for maintaining optimal vitamin D levels.
Health Issues Caused by Vitamin D Deficiency
Though we generally associate vitamin D with bone health, its deficiency can make many things worse. Since vitamin D has a major role in the human cell life cycle and other important functions lower levels of it can cause
- Autoimmune disease
- Depression
- Weight gain
- Weak bones & muscles
- Weak immune system
A weak immune system attracts many diseases and makes you weak and you may encounter many other health problems.
Perfect Sunscreen for You While Soaking Under the Sun
Now you need to soak under the sun more often, you need to protect your skin from harmful rays of the sun, and you also need to keep away from tanning. For this, you need a sunscreen of a broader spectrum with a higher sun protection factor (SPF).
Sunscreen protects your skin against the sun’s broad spectrum of harmful UV rays. It minimizes the penetration of UV rays into the skin, which can trigger various skin disorders.
Apart from that sunscreen keeps your complexion even-toned and keeps away suntan.
Additional Layer of Protection from Harmful Sun Rays
Alone sunscreen is not enough to protect your skin from harmful rays of the sun, you need to reinforce your skin cells. One thing that is excellent in this department is vitamin C. Yes, vitamin C protects your skin from oxidative damage.
It helps to maintain the cellular structure of your skin hence it delays premature ageing. Additionally, it helps improve the collagen production that makes your skin youthful. Since vitamin C is a natural brightener, it improves the overall skin tone. It’s a boon for oily skin.
Secondary Sources of Vitamin D
If you are not getting enough sunlight, there are high chances that you might have vitamin D deficiency.
Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency
- Fatigue
- Bone pain
- Muscle weakness
- Muscle aches
- Muscle cramps
- Mood changes, like depression
Many people have lower levels of vitamin D despite good exposure to sunlight.
In that case, they need help, they can include the following foods into their diet which are natural sources of vitamin D
- Cod liver oil
- Salmon
- Swordfish
- Tuna fish
- Orange juice fortified with vitamin D
- Plant milk fortified with vitamin D
- Egg yolk
- Fortified cereals
- Milk
- Yoghurt
- Dairy products
- Cheese
You can ask your doctor for vitamin D supplements if your requirements aren’t meeting the diet.
Fun Fact About Your Skin Tone & Vitamin D
The darker your skin the less you absorb the sun. This is due to the melanin content of your skin.
Melanin is a brown-black pigment in the eyes, hair and skin. It causes the skin to tan, the darker your skin, the more sun exposure is needed in order to get sufficient vitamin D from the sun. Hence sunscreen is a must for them.
Well, it’s all about vitamin D and its benefits, in case you have got some queries, you can drop some comments here.
Aparna Pal
Aparna possesses a master's degree in computer application; however, her interests lie more in the realm of fashion and lifestyle. She is a Senior Content Writer at Clovia and brings more than 4 years of experience in the lingerie, fashion, and beauty industry. She is dedicated to empowering women by providing them with the necessary knowledge about their bodies, lingerie, and lifestyle.
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