Soaking up the last vitamin D from Sunlight

Vitamin D is critical for our immune health, our bones and mental health. During the summer we have the potential to make our own from the sun, but how can we do this safely and effectively?

We make vitamin D naturally from sunlight when it hits our unprotected  skin. The only time it is strong enough to do this is between 11am and 4pm between April and September, when the sun is high in the sky and strong. Outside of these times and these months you make no vitamin D. 

A good way to know if the sun is strong enough is to check your shadow. If it is shorter than you, your body has the potential to make vitamin D. If your shadow is longer than you, the UVB rays are too weak to make any vitamin D.

To make vitamin D you should not wear sun cream lotion on the exposed skin (it blocks production, the number on the front is how well it stops the UVB rays). 

You should have at least 1/3 of your skin exposed. Your face, lower arms and legs are enough, but the more skin you expose the more vitamin D you make. 

NOTE: You mustn’t burn. Aim for just 1/3 to 1/2 the time it would take your skin to go pink – that’s enough for a good vitamin D boost.

Full body exposure can generate between 10 - 20,000 iu (250-500 mcg) of vitamin D in 30 minutes !!

If you get a good dose of natural sun (no lotion, skin out, strong sun/shadow shorter than you), then you don’t need to take a vitamin D supplement for a few days. 

However, you do need to supplement if it’s cloudy or raining for several days or weeks, or if you can’t get outside between 11am and 4pm, or you choose to cover your skin or wear protective sun lotion.

In these cases, taking a supplement is essential to keep your levels optimum.

The IN Health sublinguals contain 4000 IU (100µg) per day which mimics a small dose of strong sun exposure.

Some people need to supplement every day, all year, even in summer. 

This includes non-Caucasian people, because darker skin naturally blocks UVB, so it needs more exposure to make the same amount of vitamin D. 

Those over 65 years old because aging skin is less efficient at producing vitamin D, and finally people carrying extra body weight because vitamin D gets stored in fat cells, so less of it is available in the blood for the body to use.

If you fall into one of these groups, year round supplementation is important even if it’s sunny outside.

Vitamin D is one of those simple but powerful ways we can look after our health. Sunlight gives us the best opportunity to make it naturally, but when life, weather, or our skin gets in the way, supplements step in to keep things balanced. For some people, they’re even essential all year round.

If you’re looking for an easy way to stay on top of your vitamin D, the IN Health sublingual supplements are a great place to start—helping you keep your body supported whatever the season.