Ninety percent of the vitamin D in your body is a result of your skin’s exposure to ultraviolet light. This makes vitamin D one of the only vitamins you don’t really have to pay for. The other 10 percent can come from a supplement or certain foods, but really a 15-minute walk is more beneficial than either of these things.
Although this is the exact opposite of what skin cancer warnings tell us, limiting that exposure to 10 to 15 minutes will keep you safe and full of vitamin D. It is a soluble fat, which means it is stored and dissolved in body fat rather than water soluble, which is not stored. Vitamin D stays in your body for months and that means taking the 15-minute walk in the sunshine will provide you with the beneficial affects of vitamin D for months to come.
Q. Why is Vitamin D Good for My Skin?
Vitamin D is good for many reasons, but most importantly it is linked to the prevention of some skin cancers. Vitamin D, it is believed, protects skin cells from DNA damage that might lead to cancer. It also is effective in treating psoriasis, it has been proven. calcitrol is the active ingredient, which aides the immune system in fighting the disorder and also prevents lesions from forming.
Q. Vitamin D is Good for My Body and Mind
The benefits of sunlight cannot be denied. They include: treating and preventing heart disease, several types of cancer, tuberculosis, heart disease, flu and colds, and improving your mood. Without enough vitamin D there are risks, which include: depression, kidney and liver disease, possibly colon and other types of cancer, and softening of the bones, which could lead to osteoporosis and rickets, a disease that stunts growth.
Q. Other Than the Sun, Where Can I Get Vitamin D?
Supplements and injections are available and inexpensive and the vitamin D will stay in your system for quite some time. Vitamin D can be found in liver, milk, eggs, cheese, and in oily fish like tuna, mackerel, and salmon.
However you choose to take your vitamin D, do it daily and treat yourself well. Not only does the sun improve your skin fitness, but it will keep your overall fitness in shape too.
by Sara Musfeldt
