Vitamin D and Sun Exposure

Vitamin D is a essential nutrient to keep the proper levels of calcium and phosphorous in the body. In addition it plays an important role in the immune system maintenance by reducing inflammation and participating in the cell growth and maduration.

Salmon, cereals, orange juice, cod liver oil and mackerel are some foods rich in vitamin D, although the main source of vitamin D is found in sunlight.

The sun exposure dilemma

Sun brings many benefits for the health. It does’t just provide vitamin D, but an insufficient exposure to sunlight increases the risk of suffering some diseases as colon, breast and prostate cancer.

When summer comes, the tips about the importance of protecting skin against sun are really common. As we know an excessive sun exposure increases the risk of skin cancer. That’s the reason why its recommended to avoid the hottest hours of the day and the continuos use of sun screen.

Facing this situation it’s usual to ask ourselves if increasing sun protection affects the ability of teh body to synthesize vitamin D.

We have to keep in mind that is not just the amount of sun we take, which is easy during spring and summer, but other factors such as the diet, skin color and latitude. Thus, many studies show that in countries with latitudes above 35 degrees (as Spain), the cold and low sunlight makes what is called the “vitamin D Winter” which means a vitamin D below the required levels.

What’s the solution?

In this situation we should look for a balance that can reduce the melanoma’s risk and that allows us get the benefits of sun exposure, including the synthesis of vitamin D.

The best option is to adopt the recommendations of medical professionals: to combine limited sun exposure (10-20 minutes a day during less intensity sunlight hours) combined with an adequate diet and food supplements.

At SHA we have a complete range of nutritional supplements to compensate the lack of necessary nutrients, including vitamin D. They are available in our SHA Boutique (our physical store at SHA Wellness Clinic) and in Esenza by SHA.