Instead of vitamin d being directly linked to improved health outcomes it may be that sunlight itself is the thing that s providing all of those health benefits while someone s level of vitamin d is just a marker that they re getting a sufficient amount of sunlight.
Vitamin d benefits of sunlight.
Wikimedia commons the debate on whether the sun is a friend or a foe is ongoing with more and more people afraid of sun exposure given its ties to skin cancer and premature aging.
It protects the teeth and bones and defends against diseases including cancer and multiple sclerosis.
The body produces vitamin d in response to sun exposure.
Vitamin d is sometimes called the sunshine vitamin because it s produced in your skin in response to sunlight.
It s a fat soluble vitamin in a family of compounds that includes vitamins.
Vitamin d produced when the sun hits your skin has many other benefits such as bone health.
This summer increase your vitamin d intake and soak up the benefits of safe sunlight exposure.
The challenge lies is balancing skin protection from sun overexposure while reaping vitamin d s.
Many older adults don t get regular exposure to sunlight and have trouble absorbing vitamin d so taking a multivitamin with vitamin d will likely help improve bone health.
Vitamin d though present in dietary supplements vitamin d is much more abundant in sunlight.
Sunshine does have its benefits but it s still the number one cause of skin cancer.
Experts recommend no more than 15 to 20 minutes of direct sunlight daily for a healthy adult.
This confirms the benefits of vitamin d and sun exposure in reducing risk of cancer.
It s also found in some foods and supplements.
In the midst of summer there s plenty of daily sunlight to boost vitamin d levels in your body.
The recommended daily amount of vitamin d is 400 international units iu for children up to age 12 months 600 iu for ages 1 to 70 years and 800 iu for people over 70 years.
Compared to vitamin d supplements actual sun exposure has a variety of nutrients both present and absent in dietary supplements including.
Vitamin d has a range of benefits.
It s also found in some foods and supplements.