Vitamin D deficiency steps into the sun

flickr photo/DeusXFlorida

It seems like everywhere you turn, experts are spouting contradictory health advice.

Take the sunlight dilemma.

The prevailing wisdom of the last several years has been to avoid direct sunlight at all costs. A recent Sun Herald article continues the trend.

After acknowledging that the spring thaw makes it “temping to spend a little extra time in the sun,” the story advises families to slather themselves in sunblock with 30-50 SPF, because “excessive and unprotected sun exposure can result in damaging burns, changes in skin texture, and skin cancer.” 

It's good advice, but it would have been nice if it had come with a caveat: Soak up the rays for five minutes, then get SPF-coated. 

I'll explain why. 

The news isn’t sunny

Most of us have been good when it comes to UV-ray advisories. We’ve listened. We’ve made the sun public enemy number-one.

There’s just one problem: Our collective sun-block has contributed to what is—according to worldwide reports—an epidemic of vitamin D deficiency.

As an article in Target Population, an online publication for George Washington University public health students, notes, “the advice to avoid the sun may have swung the pendulum too far in the other direction and created a new problem.” 

The sun is our main source of vitamin D, so, notes a NY Time health blog, when you always use sunblock—and choose long sleeves and hats and sun-avoidance altogether—you “can reduce pre-Vitamin D production by 90 percent.”

How acute is the problem?

A 2009 Scientific American article reported that some 10 percent of American adults are vitamin D-deficient. 

Running low on vitamin D is no laughing matter because the nutrient promotes the absorption of calcium, making it crucial to bone strength. 


The so-called Sunshine Vitamin also helps regulate the immune system, reduces asthma symptoms and may stave off illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and cancer. Sufficient levels of vitamin D have also been linked to brain health in later life and the ability to maintain a healthy body weight.

Striking a balance

So now you know how important Vitamin D is. How do you make sure you’re getting enough of this vital nutrient? If you suspect you may be Vitamin D-deficient, see if your doctor can test your level.

You can also boost your intake of foods high in vitamin D. The main gastronomic sources of Vitamin D is oily fish: salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring and sardines. 


According to Healthaliciousness.com, raw fish generally contains more vitamin D than cooked fish. Sushi, anyone? 


Cod liver oil is also a meaningful source of the Sunshine Vitamin, as are oysters, caviar, eggs and mushrooms. Milk, cheese, yogurt and and breakfast cereals are also often fortified with vitamin D. Start checking labels and buy accordingly. 


Since most of us don't get enough vitamin D through diet alone, you may want to consider taking a vitamin D supplement. 


Dr. Walter Willet, chairman of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health, doesn't just think that people ought to take vitamin D supplements. 


He believes the daily recommended dose of vitamin D--600 international units for most adults and 800 IUs for seniors older than 70--should be upped to somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000 IUs.

Here are Dr. Willet’s thoughts on the Sunshine Vitamin, as printed in a recent Martha Stewart column : “There’s a substantial amount of evidence that vitamin D can have benefits for colon cancer, diabetes and infections. It makes sense for most people to take a supplement while evidence is being collected.”

As a Xango distributor, I can’t resist a small plug here. Along with mangosteen juice, the Xango company has a number of supplements, including one that is a veritable Sunshine Vitamin star. XANGO 3SIXTY5 packs a Vitamin D punch, with 2,000 UI of vitamin D per supplement in the form of Vitamn D3, the strongest and most easily absorbable amount. 


According to the company website, “no other multivitamin product on the market delivers this amount.” 

Here comes the sun.
And then there's the sun. 

If you want to go straight to the source, don’t toss aside all advice about protecting your skin. But it turns out, a touch of bare-skin exposure to sunlight can do you good.

How much is a touch? About.com Nutrition writer Shareen Jegtvig says this: You probably need from 5 to 30 minutes of exposure to the skin on your face, arms, back or legs (without sunscreen) two times every week. Since exposure to sunlight is a risk for skin cancer, you should use sunscreen after a few minutes in the sun, even on hazy or cloudy days.”

The Target Population article defers to the Vitamin D council: “Judiciously expose as much skin as possible to direct midday sunlight for ¼ the time it takes for one’s skin to turn red…Vitamin D production is already maximized before your skin turns pink and further exposure does not increase level of vitamin D but may increase your risk of skin cancer.” Black people, the council notes, may need longer exposure for the same effects, as the greater amounts of melanin in their skin acts as a natural sunblock.

Okay, vitamin D is good. A small amounts of sun-kissing is good. Large amounts, still risky.

Any questions? I’ll be outside, taking my dog for a quick turn around the block. Sunscreen optional.

Cyndi Podlaski is not a doctor or nutrionist. She is a Xango distributor who is passionate about great health. She is also has a healthy southern Californian respect for the sun.