
Very few foods contain significant amounts of vitamin D, so people can ensure they get enough of the vitamin by scheduling regular time outdoors.
a couple of hours for a person with dark skin. 15 minutes for a person with light skin. According to the Vitamin D Council, this could be: Spending even a short time in the sun can provide the body with all of the vitamin D it needs for the day. The sun is our best natural source of vitamin D. The body needs a steady source of vitamin D for many different processes. This should give them all the vitamin D they need without increasing the risk of skin cancer. It is important to note that when someone stays in the sun so long that their skin burns, they have a higher risk of developing skin cancer.Ĭurrent advice is for people to stay in the sun for half as long as it takes their particular skin type to burn before covering up and retiring to the shade. This is especially true in the winter months when the sun is lower in the sky.įrequent, moderate exposure to the sun is healthful, but prolonged exposure can be dangerous. In the United States, people in the sunnier southern states will find it easier to meet their vitamin D needs with sun exposure than those in the northern states. Where a person lives in relation to the equator also has a significant impact on how much vitamin D their bodies can make. Pale color skin makes vitamin D more quickly than darker colored skins. Exposing the back, for instance, allows the body to produce more vitamin D than just the hands and face. The more skin a person exposes, the more vitamin D the body will make. When spending prolonged time in the hot sun, wear sunscreen, and stay hydrated. The skin produces more vitamin D when in the sun during the middle of the day, the time it is at its highest point in the sky. Many factors affect how much vitamin D a person gets from the sun, such as: The body will make all the vitamin D it needs for a day in about half the time it takes the skin to burn.
People do not need to get a tan or burn to get vitamin D from the sun. When the sun’s rays hit the skin, processes inside the tissues start making vitamin D.
Share on Pinterest The sun provides a reliable source of vitamin D.