The quarantine protocols have forced us to stay indoors as much as possible. This means that we are not getting the amount of sunlight we need every day anymore. Not to mention, vitamin C has been in the spotlight for months now. With healthcare organizations urging us to take our daily dose of Vit-C, many are neglecting and forgetting the importance of vitamin D on our health and well-being.
How Important is Vitamin D?
It’s not easy to catch enough sunlight nowadays, and it’s even harder for people who live in places where sunlight is hard to come by. However, we must try our best to have a sufficient amount of vitamin D every day because it is essential in some of the body’s metabolic processes.
- Reduce Bone Loss and Strengthens Bones
What does vitamin D have to do with bones? We all know that calcium is the primary mineral that helps build strong and healthy bones. What many may not know is that vitamin D helps with calcium absorption as well as the regulation of calcium and phosphate in the body. Additionally, vitamin D also helps regulate the parathyroid hormone, which helps in reducing bone loss. (1)
- Fights Diseases and Boosts the Immune System
Studies have shown that vitamin D plays an important role in boosting the body’s immune system. It helps the immune cells produce more antibodies, which, in turn, fights off diseases. Several studies have also shown that regular intake of vitamin D can lower the risk of having hypertension, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, autoimmune diseases, and may help with cancer prevention.
- Improved Mood
There have been many studies investigating the connection between vitamin D supplementation and depression. Despite the ongoing debate, one systematic review concluded the effectiveness of vitamin D in helping treat depression. Another study supports the important role of vitamin D in regulating the mood of a person.
It could be a controversial topic because depression is multi-faceted. Take, for example, Seasonal Affective Disorder. This is a mood disorder that features symptoms of depression during the dark and cold seasons. Because of the lack of sunlight, people experience a vitamin D deficiency, which then affects the mood. One study supported this and said that the changing levels of vitamin D3 in the body may be the culprit.
Nonetheless, let’s not forget that depression has several causes, and each case should be treated differently. Vitamin D will not treat depression, yet it can be a helpful addition to treatment programs.
Sunlight vs Food vs Supplements vs Tanning Beds
Comparing the effectiveness of getting vitamin D from the sun and supplement intake is always a big question in everyone’s minds. If they can’t get enough sunlight, why not rely on supplementation instead?
To answer this question, skin synthesis is the best way to get the optimal level of vitamin D. “Vitamin D is additionally obtained from the diet although the contribution to total levels tends to be small in comparison to skin synthesis,” according to a study. (1)
However, it is recommended to get vitamin D from foods first instead of supplements for a more natural approach. These are great vitamin D sources: (2)
- Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel
- Beef liver
- Cheese
- Mushrooms
- Egg yolks
Here are foods that can be possibly fortified with vitamin D:
- Milk
- Orange juice
- Cereal
- Yogurt
- Soy drinks
What about tanning beds? In essence, tanning beds work like natural sunlight. They give off UVB rays and our skin can synthesize that and turn it into vitamin D. However, the use of tanning beds to get vitamin D has been controversial. There are those that say that it is indeed effective for vitamin D intake. However, those against it believe that the risk of having skin cancer outweighs its benefits.
How Much Vitamin D Do We Need?
The recommended daily intake of vitamin D is 600-800 IU. In terms of sunlight, this means spending no more than 20 minutes under the midday sun. High noon sunlight is believed to have the highest UVB radiation. When absorbed by the skin, it then converts to vitamin D.
However, it is crucial to always remember that many factors affect your vitamin D intake. If you have access to the midday sun every day, your clothes and sunscreen will affect the skin synthesis process. Should we still wear sunscreen if it lowers the vitamin D intake? Not really. Harvard Health reports that the reduction is minimal and shouldn’t be a problem.
What if we don’t have access to sunlight and opt to take vitamin D supplements instead? The simple answer is to talk to a doctor about it as many factors go into determining how much vitamin D a person has. These factors include:
- Place of residency – People who live in colder regions are at a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency
- Age – We produce less vitamin D as we age. By the age of 65, we will only produce a quarter of vitamin D in our skin compared to when we are in our 20s.
- Weight – Vitamin D gets stored in fat, which means heavier individuals will have less vitamin D circulating in the body.
- Skin pigmentation – Darker-skinned individuals have lower vitamin D levels and will need to spend more time under the sun.
- Diet – Food eaten will have to be taken into consideration to determine how much vitamin D is still needed daily.
- Health conditions – People who have certain health conditions like liver disease, inflammatory bowel syndrome, and cystic fibrosis are more at risk of vitamin D deficiency.
If we need vitamin D so much, can we load up on it and take more than we should just to make sure? No. As usual, anything in excess is not good for the body. Too much vitamin D can lead to toxicity. This results in elevated blood levels, calcium levels, nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, stomach pain, bowel issues, bone loss, and possibly kidney failure. (3)
Again, it is important to talk to a doctor first before supplementing.
What Should We Know About Vitamin D Deficiency?
Comparing the effectiveness of getting vitamin D from the sun and supplement intake is always a big question in everyone’s minds. If they can’t get enough sunlight, why not rely on supplementation instead?
To answer this question, skin synthesis is the best way to get the optimal level of vitamin D. “Vitamin D is additionally obtained from the diet although the contribution to total levels tends to be small in comparison to skin synthesis,” according to a study. (1)
However, it is recommended to get vitamin D from foods first instead of supplements for a more natural approach. These are great vitamin D sources: (2)
- Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel
- Beef liver
- Cheese
- Mushrooms
- Egg yolks
Here are foods that can be possibly fortified with vitamin D:
- Milk
- Orange juice
- Cereal
- Yogurt
- Soy drinks
What about tanning beds? In essence, tanning beds work like natural sunlight. They give off UVB rays and our skin can synthesize that and turn it into vitamin D. However, the use of tanning beds to get vitamin D has been controversial. There are those that say that it is indeed effective for vitamin D intake. However, those against it believe that the risk of having skin cancer outweighs its benefits.
How Much Vitamin D Do We Need?
The recommended daily intake of vitamin D is 600-800 IU. In terms of sunlight, this means spending no more than 20 minutes under the midday sun. High noon sunlight is believed to have the highest UVB radiation. When absorbed by the skin, it then converts to vitamin D.
However, it is crucial to always remember that many factors affect your vitamin D intake. If you have access to the midday sun every day, your clothes and sunscreen will affect the skin synthesis process. Should we still wear sunscreen if it lowers the vitamin D intake? Not really. Harvard Health reports that the reduction is minimal and shouldn’t be a problem.
What if we don’t have access to sunlight and opt to take vitamin D supplements instead? The simple answer is to talk to a doctor about it as many factors go into determining how much vitamin D a person has. These factors include:
- Place of residency – People who live in colder regions are at a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency
- Age – We produce less vitamin D as we age. By the age of 65, we will only produce a quarter of vitamin D in our skin compared to when we are in our 20s.
- Weight – Vitamin D gets stored in fat, which means heavier individuals will have less vitamin D circulating in the body.
- Skin pigmentation – Darker-skinned individuals have lower vitamin D levels and will need to spend more time under the sun.
- Diet – Food eaten will have to be taken into consideration to determine how much vitamin D is still needed daily.
- Health conditions – People who have certain health conditions like liver disease, inflammatory bowel syndrome, and cystic fibrosis are more at risk of vitamin D deficiency.
If we need vitamin D so much, can we load up on it and take more than we should just to make sure? No. As usual, anything in excess is not good for the body. Too much vitamin D can lead to toxicity. This results in elevated blood levels, calcium levels, nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, stomach pain, bowel issues, bone loss, and possibly kidney failure. (3)
Again, it is important to talk to a doctor first before supplementing.