We love the Summer and those sunny days, but
sunshine and heat is a double-edged sword. We need it because vitamin D is
important to us, but too much of it and we risk skin cancer.
So,
what are the facts?
Vitamin D is created when your skin is exposed
to the Sun’s ultraviolet B rays. It is best known for keeping your bones
healthy by increasing the absorption of calcium.
However low levels of vitamin D may lead to the
bone thinning disease called osteoporosis. Research also indicates that
insufficient vitamin D may play a role in other diseases including Multiple
Sclerosis and certain cancers.
Vitamin D deficiency is very common and it is
estimated that about 1 billion people worldwide have low levels of vitamin D in
their blood.
Why
does this happen?
Today’s modern world where many people work
longer hours in an office based or factory environment deprive many people of
the sunshine that they need. Couple this with a decline in outdoor activities,
the rise and popularity of video gaming and it is not difficult to see that as
a society we are no longer the Sun lovers that we used to be.
How
much sunshine do we need?
The answer is surprisingly little. Some research indicates that a even just a few minutes of
sunshine in the mid-morning or the mid-afternoon can be enough. This should not
be beyond the majority of us but we are warned not to spend too much time in a
hot midday sun.
It’s more difficult when winter arrives however
because we tend to dress for the cold weather and very little skin is exposed
even to a winter sun, so dependent upon where you live, the winter some may be
too weak to make sufficient vitamin D.
Vitamin
D all year round.
In the summer you should be checking your UV
levels to ensure that you don’t get too much sun exposure but in the winter UV
levels can often be too low to make much vitamin D especially in the early
morning and late afternoon.
In winter it is good to expose your arms or lower legs for
between seven and 40 minutes and the darker your skin, or the further away from
the equator that you live from the equator, the more exposure you will need
during the winter months in order to maintain adequate vitamin D levels.
If you feel you are not getting sufficient
vitamin D then certain foods can help. Oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and
sardines can help, as well as red meat and eggs. A further source of vitamin D
can be found in dietary supplement supplements which are available from most
chemists.
We hope this information has been helpful, and
now that the summer is here please take care and don’t forget the sunscreen
regardless of your skin type.
Remember, Mayfair we care.