Sunshine, Vitamin D, and Sunscreen
Where is that balance between a healthy tan and natural vitamin D… and increasing your risk of skin cancer?
Vitamin D
Ideal vitamin D levels are thought to be between 50-100ng/mL. The recommendations vary all over the place, but most agree that below 30 is deficient and over 100 is too high. For this reason, it’s a good idea to check your levels periodically to ensure your strategy is working for you.
To get vitamin D from the sun, we’re advised to get 10-30 minutes of midday sunlight, several times per week.
Of course, there are already a few variables including:
The time of year: April to September you’ve got a chance in the northern hemisphere.
How much skin is exposed: Wear a bikini on your lunch break?
How dark your skin is: People with darker skin need more exposure.
There are some other factors too. Some people aren’t as good at converting vitamin D to its active state including older people, people with obesity, or those with liver or kidney disease.
The RDA for vitamin D is the level known to prevent rickets. However, we know now that vitamin D is essential for more than just bones. That’s why we often recommend more. It’s also thought that getting vitamin K2 is important along WITH vitamin D to ensure that the calcium goes to our bones and not soft tissues. Keep this in mind if you are choosing a supplement and ask for one that has K2 in it as well.
Food sources of vitamin D
Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and tuna are good sources as well as liver. (Liver is always the answer to good food sources of just about anything.) There is also some in egg yolks and cheese. Of course, the OG Vitamin D source is cod liver oil. However, keep in mind that with cod liver oil you get not just vitamin D, you also get pre-formed vitamin A and some omega 3 fatty acids. This may be desirable, or not. Folks who spend a lot of time outside in the summer will often supplement in the winter months and stop in the summertime when they can make it from the sun.
When you supplement with Vitamin D, be sure to take it with a fatty meal. Vitamin D (as well as vitamin K) is fat-soluble and is best absorbed with a meal that has at least a little bit of fat. Being fat-soluble can make it easy to overdo it too. Another reason to get your levels checked periodically.
When it comes to vitamin D…. Test, don’t guess!
How can I check my vitamin D levels at home?
Yes you can. You can ask your doctor for a test, or order a home kit.
If you are going to supplement with this vitamin, it’s a good idea to test your levels to make sure you don’t over- or under-do it. Not a bad idea to test near end of winter time and maybe again mid-summer to see how your needs change. Then after supplementing for a while, test to see if it’s having the effect you want.
I love this home kit for testing vitamin D
Use the link below to check out this test and use the code: 6Q6FA6EVMG to get 10% off.
Can I make vitamin D through sunscreen?
It sounds like we can. It will be less efficient, but if you are out during the middle of the day mid-summer slathered up with sunscreen, it’s likely that enough will get through to help you make your D3. I mean, it only takes 10-15 minutes of full body exposure a few days per week to make enough vitamin D for most people. If you are out all day, sunscreen won’t stop it completely… so you don’t have to risk a sunburn to prevent osteoporosis! Of course, this depends on the time of year. So during the summer time when light intensity is higher, the more likely that you’ll be able to make D3 through your sunscreen. If your make-up has SPF 30 and you’re relying on 15 mins of exposure on your lunchbreak in March… probably not.
What is a good sunscreen?
The FDA warns against the first 6 ingredients below in red (and we all know the FDA still allows some pretty shady characters in our food and personal care products… so if they are worried, I’m worried too).
Sunscreen suggestions
Sometimes it’s just easier to suggest good brands. I like the alba and Jason brands. But there are other good ones. I’ve put some of these under my “sunscreen” list in my Fullscript dispensary.
But you STILL need to look at the ingredients!! As I’ve shown you in the YouTube video below, the same brand will have different ingredients across its product line.
Pro tip: You can buy these sunscreens on my Fullscript dispensary and use your HSA card!! Look in “my favorites” under “sunscreens”. When my clients are purchasing a supplement that I recommend, I often remind them to look for sunscreen or other items under “fillers” to bump them up to the minimum order for free shipping. (You can buy tea, soap, toothpaste, body care products, and more there, much as you would in the supplement section of a natural food store.)
The take-home message
The take-home message from all the sunscreen information is that you probably won’t find a perfect solution. Ideally, you get to control your sun exposure and only get what is safe for you. If your lifestyle dictates long hours in the summer sun and covering up isn’t going to work, you’ll need some sunscreen so get the best for your own situation.
The take-home message for vitamin D is to get your levels checked… ideally near the end of winter and near the end of summer. That will guide your supplementation strategy. Then if you come up low and start supplementing, re-check to be sure you’re on the right track.
