The following information provides advice and rationale behind the common myths and misconceptions about sun exposure, the production of vitamin D and how to ensure you can safely boost your supply to ensure you receive adequate levels to remain in good health, all-year-round.
There are two forms of vitamin D – vitamin D2 and vitamin D3, and to remain in good health is important our bodies receive adequate levels of both.
Vitamin D2 is ingested from a balanced healthy diet and can be derived from everyday foods such as egg yolks and fatty fish (like trout, mackerel, salmon and tuna) as well as cod liver oil, or fortified milk, juices and cereals.
Vitamin D3 is produced by exposing the skin to the sun’s UVB (burning) rays. So, whilst some sun is good for us, over-exposure is a serious health risk and it is therefore important to strike the right balance.
The answer is far less than most people believe. Although environmental and personal factors can greatly affect vitamin D3 production in the skin (meaning there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ level of exposure) for most, vitamin D3 can be efficiently and sufficiently produced in around 10-15 minutes a day – from doses of UV exposure, below those which cause reddening of the skin or sunburn.
This small amount of sun exposure to the arms and/or legs, just a few times a week, produces all the vitamin D your body can muster – after that, your body will simply dispose of it to avoid overload, as too much vitamin D can be toxic.
It is important that unprotected sun exposure is brief and done outside of peak UV hours (11am-3pm) because even 10 or 15 minutes is way more than enough time to cause DNA damage and in some circumstances sunburn. DNA damage adds up over time, producing more and more genetic mutations that keep increasing your lifetime risk of skin cancer.
If you are outside for longer periods of time, it is essential to use sun protection. Bare in mind that no sunscreen can block 100% of the sun’s UVB rays, so you can still get your boost and stay protected. Forgoing sun protection for longer periods to boost vitamin D is not only dangerous, it’s simply pointless – giving you nothing but sun damage without any of the presumed benefit.
Sunbeds are not a safe alternative to sun exposure or boosting your vitamin D supply. In fact, sunbeds emit mainly UVA radiation, but at much higher intensities than natural sunlight – yet it is exposure to UVB that manufactures the production of vitamin D. Using sunbeds is highly dangerous and they should be avoided at all costs. For further information go to: Sunbeds and Skin Cancer
Vitamin D deficiency is not uncommon and can affect all age groups, races and ethnic backgrounds. Between October and early March the sun produces little-to-no UVB radiation in the UK and we therefore cannot rely on this natural resource to boost production. It’s also not possible to achieve sufficient levels of vitamin D through diet alone.
The NHS therefore recommends that we should all (from pre-school aged children, to the elderly) take daily vitamin D supplements, particularly in the winter months to help keep our bones and muscles healthy.
Taking vitamin D supplements is safe as long as you stick to the recommended dosage as too much vitamin D is toxic and can cause health problems. However, if you have any health conditions, take any other medication or have allergies, it’s important to take advice from your GP first.
