Vitamin D For Your Health

Getting Enough Vitamin D is Important For Your Health

Today, most people are aware of the negative aspects of too much. There is the possibility of sun damage leading to premature aging and skin cancer. This has lead many people to stay out of the sun where possible. However, experts are now thinking that many people are missing out on important levels of Vitamin D and sunlight is the body's best source of this important vitamin.

Vitamin D plays an essential part in bone and muscle health. People who are low in Vitamin D are susceptible to osteoporosis later in life and helps with muscle coordination. There is some evidence that this vitamin can also reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, a variety of cancers, diabetes, depression, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and autoimmune diseases.

So, what is the answer? You need to get the balance right between not damaging your skin and getting enough Vitamin D. Short, frequent exposures to the sun are the best way to do this.

Here are some other tips:

- Determine what you need for your skin type. The darker you are, the more exposure you need. Fair skinned people will need less sun.
- Look up the UV index. If the level is below 3 then it is safe to walk around without any protection.
- On average, you will need only 10 minutes in the sun a day. You'll need more in winter.
- The more skin than is exposed to the sun, the less time you will need.
- You should be in the sun long enough to get burnt.

These tips are most important for those high at risk of Vitamin D deficiency. This includes:

- the elderly;
- people who don't get much exposure to the sun;
- dark skinned people
- breastfed babies
- people with osteoporosis
- those on immunosuppressants.

By Fannie R. Marshall