11/29/2023
It’s estimated that 85% of people have some form of vitamin D deficiency without even recognizing it. Even if the above signs don’t readily describe you, you still may be experiencing a vitamin D deficiency and need to supplement in order to gain the benefits of vitamin D for overall health and disease prevention.
CAN SUN EXPOSURE PROVIDE US WITH ENOUGH VITAMIN D?
The short answer is yes. Sunlight exposure is one of the best and most natural ways to get vit D in the body, as the sun provides beneficial UVB wavelengths that are needed to optimize vit D levels. The best time to obtain healthy sun exposure is during high noon, as this is when the UVB rays are the strongest and the body will obtain the highest level of vit D in the shortest amount of time. When the UVB rays from the sun hit your skin, a cholesterol derivative within your skin is converted into vit D. The tricky part here is that vit D is an oil-soluble, steroid hormone which is not immediately absorbed into the bloodstream. It takes about 48 hours for this to occur, meaning if you shower and use soap on your whole body within 48 hours of sunlight exposure, you are likely washing off all of the great vit D that your body is producing. So, you have a few options in order to give your body time to absorb and benefit from the vitamin D gained through sun exposure. You can either not shower at all for 48 hours or you can only use soap on the areas that are necessary like underneath your arms, in your midsection, and your feet. This will allow the vit D on the rest of your skin to not be washed off.
You can also take a vit D supplement to be certain you are getting the right amount of vit D to balance your body’s needs. For kids, it is recommended to take around 2500 IU and for adults, it is recommended to take 5000 IU on a daily basis. If you do end up taking a vit D supplement, it may be important to also accompany it with vit K2, as vit K2 is essential for your body and works in tandem with vit D to maximize benefits.
It is important to know if you are vitamin D deficient and what your exact levels are. Click the link in our bio to schedule your 15 minute complimentary discovery call today!!