Recently, there has been lots of talk in the media about the prevalence of vitamin D deficiencies and the importance of this vitamin for bone and overall health.  There have been a lot of questions regarding how to improve levels of vitamin D, especially in the dreary days of winter.  We recognize sunlight as the best source of vitamin D.  It can provide you with your entire vitamin D requirement.  Children and young adults who spend a short time outside two or three times a week will generally synthesize all the vitamin D they need.  If you are older, you have diminished capacity to synthesize vitamin D from sunlight exposure.  Many of us use sunscreen and/or wear protective clothing in order to prevent skin cancer and sun damage, depriving ourselves of vitamin D.  In these instances it is important to consider getting your vitamin D from food and supplements.  Vitamin D is unique among vitamins in that it can be provided to the body through food or by exposure to the sun.  Sunshine is a significant source of vitamin D because ultraviolet rays from sunlight trigger vitamin D synthesis on the skin.  We recommend spending fifteen minutes a day in the sun without sunscreen.  This will increase vitamin D production, known to reduce the risk of many internal cancers as well as the risk of osteoporosis. Although sun exposure has been greatly vilified in the past decades, exposure to the sun is our most important source of this critical vitamin.

How do you maintain a healthy level of vitamin D?