There is a lot of controversy surrounding sun exposure’s health risks and benefits and recently the tide has been flowing toward less sun and more sunscreen. Well, we’re here to bring you the truth about some of the valuable and even vital characteristics of sunlight.

Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins for our bodies to have proper levels of. Not only is it incredibly important to our health, it’s FREE! Vitamin D is obtained through sunlight and is needed in sufficient quantities to properly absorb calcium. Vitamin D also helps to prevent osteoporosis, prostate and breast cancers, diabetes, obesity and depression. Recently, additional benefits are being discovered, such as promotion of healthy cell growth, immune system health and hormonal balance.

One way to check if you have insufficient amounts of vitamin D is to press on your sternum, also called a breastbone. If it is sore, you may need more D! Being significantly overweight can also weaken your body’s usage of the vitamin, requiring 2 times more.

It is a misconception that the healing rays of sunlight can travel through glass. You cannot reap the benefits of sunlight through a car window and direct, unfiltered exposure is required, in the right doses, to obtain the health boost inherent in sunlight. Even the lightest of sunscreens will “screen” your skin from the sun. Depending on your skin type, anywhere from 15 minutes 2-3 times a week to an hour a day is needed. Make sure to avoid peak hours of sunlight which are 10 am – 3 pm. Sufficient sunlight and vitamin D can lower health risks by up to 80 percent!

Skin color plays a big role in how much sunlight your body needs in order to make sufficient vitamin D. Darker skinned people need 20-30 times more sun than pale skinned people to produce the same amount of vitamin D. Basically, the darker your skin, the more sun you need! Also, people living closer to the equator need less sun exposure than those living further away.  Bodies have built in regulators that control how much vitamin D they produce so you never have too much.

Tags: skin, sun, sunlight, sunscreen, tanning, vitamin D
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