Growing up and staying in a tropical country, we have no 4 seasons. While we have abundant sunshine all year long, I still prefer to stay away from direct sun exposure as much as I can to protect my skin from photoaging.
How many of you, like me, prefer to stay away from the sun? If that’s the case, you may need to get vitamin D from diet or supplements.
What is Vitamin D?
Vitamin D, also known as the “sunshine vitamin,” works in the body as a hormone. It is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps the body absorb and retain calcium and phosphorus, which are critical for building bone.
Organic way to get Vitamin D
The best way to increase vitamin D in the body is through sun exposure. Harvard Medical School suggests 10 to 15 minutes of sun exposure on bare and unprotected skin, especially on arms and legs, a few times a week for maximum sunlight absorption.
Sounds easy? But studies show that most people are still not getting enough vitamin D.
Here are some of the limiting factors:
- Time of the day. Between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. is the usual window for significant sun exposure.
- Season. If you’re staying in a country with multiple seasons, sunlight is limited, especially during winter.
- Skin color. Tan-skinned individuals produce less vitamin D than those with fair skin when exposed to equal sunlight for equal durations.
- Age. Older adults make less vitamin D than younger people.
- Air pollution. Particles in the air can block UVB rays and prevent them from reaching the skin.
- Wearing sun protection like sunscreen.
- Staying most of the time indoors.
What Happens if You Don’t Have Enough Vitamin D for a long time?
- Rickets: Softening and weakening of bones in babies and children. It can cause bowing of the legs, bone pain, and poor growth.
- Osteomalacia: A condition of weak and softened bones in adults that can be reversed with supplementation. (This different than osteoporosis, in which the bones are porous and brittle, and the condition is irreversible.)
Get Vitamin D from Diet
Before going into the food sources, let’s talk a little about the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin D. The RDA for vitamin D provides the daily amount needed to maintain healthy bones and normal calcium metabolisms in healthy people.
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends the RDA for Vitamin D for adults 19 years, and older is 600 IU (15 mcg) daily for men and women, and for adults >70 years, it is 800 IU (20 mcg). This recommendation assumes that most people get little sun exposure.
You can get vitamin D from certain foods, such as egg yolks, cheese, cod liver oil, beef liver, and fatty fish like tuna, salmon, sardines, herring, and mackerel. But the amount of vitamin D in these foods is relatively small. Even with foods fortified with vitamin D, like milk cereals, and yogurt, most people still don’t get enough vitamin D.
Supplements are a good idea to cover all your bases.
You may find vitamin D supplements in sprays, capsules, or powdered form, and there are two kinds of vitamin D supplements: vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. Vitamin D2 is made from plants and is also found in fortified foods. Vitamin D3 is naturally produced in the human body and is found in animal foods. Some experts suggest vitamin D3 as the preferred form as it is naturally produced in the body and found in most food that naturally contains the vitamin (source). If you’re looking for a vegan option, you can also find vegan forms of both in the form of supplements.
Since vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, it absorbs better when fats are present, so try to take it with food and a good source of healthy fats.
Fun facts!
Did you know? Catching the sun’s rays in a sunny office or driving in a car won’t help you get vitamin D, as window glass will block UVB ultraviolet light that involves vitamin D making in the body.