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| 5 - 10min of sun provides more than daily requirement of vit D |
Did you know that vitamin D was not only important for bones, but also for nearly all other tissues in our body? Yet, unknown to many of us, we may be suffering from the effects of Vitamin D deficiency!
So vital is the vitamin for normal cell function, a lack of it can result has been linked to cancer, heart disease, and immune system abnormalities. Chronic insufficiency of vitamin D in your diet also results in feeling of tiredness and fatigue.
Increase your vitamin D intake and reduce the risk of cancer by 60 to 77% - is a compelling reason to be vitamin D–sufficient.
The main natural sources of vitamin D are oily fish and sun. Salmon contains the highest amount, among the fishes. Humans also get abundant vitamin D from exposure to sunlight. The minor sources of vitamin D are found in fortified foods such as milk and yogurt, and vitamin supplememts.
Despite these, deficiency in vitamin D is occurring more frequently than previously expected. A study showed that individuals who were drinking a glass of milk and taking a multivitamin daily and eating salmon at least once a week were still vitamin D-deficient.
What should we do to ensure that we keep our vitamin D at the health-friendly level?
Go into the sun! Yes, one of the most efficient (and free) way to ensure that you get more than your recommended daily dose. 10 minutes of sun exposure to the arms and legs can produce the equivalent amount of vitamin D found in 1 kg of salmon, or 100 egg yolks!
Wait a minute, we know that too much sun causes skin cancers and skin aging. How then can we get our vitamin D fix safely?
The key is sensible exposure to sunlight. 5 to 10 min a day is sufficient. No need to bake under the sun.
Despite this, dark skinned individuals will not be able to absorb sufficient UV because of the blocking effect of the pigments in the skin. Societies which dictate that large part of the skin be covered by clothing, contributes to vitamin D insufficiency.
Unless a person eats oily fish frequently, it is very difficult to obtain that much vitamin D on a daily basis from dietary sources. Excessive exposure to sunlight, especially sunlight that causes sunburn, will increase the risk of skin cancer.
Therefore, we would still have to fall back on vitamin D supplements to meet our body’s needs.
Recommendations for adequate daily intake of vitamin D are 200 IU for children and adults up to 50 years of age, 400 IU for adults 51 to 70 years of age, and 600 IU for adults 71 years of age or older. Without adequate sun exposure, children and adults would require more supplementation at approximately 800 to 1000 IU per day.
Sensible sun exposure and the use of supplements are needed to fulfil the body’s vitamin D.
