Vitamin D Uncovered

It’s that time of the year again when we can be outside and enjoying the sun. With this time of the year come all the questions about sunscreen and how it affects the absorption of vitamin D in the body. So what is vitamin D and where do we get it from? Vitamin D is a steroid vitamin that increases the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in the body. The sun encourages the production of most of the vitamin D the body needs. Other sources of vitamin D include food and supplements. In the type of climate we live in here in the Midwest, it can be difficult to get enough sun exposure during the winter months to stay healthy and therefore vitamin D might need to be obtained through foods. In the summer, it has been recommended to go outside for two 15 minute sessions of sun without sunscreen daily. This will give the body enough sun exposure to get an adequate amount of vitamin D. So go outside and enjoy the sun, but don’t completely forget about sun protection!