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Is sunlight exposure enough for your vitamin D needs?

Getting sunlight for your vitamin D deficiency is often the most recommended way to get the sunshine vitamin! An expert tells you more.

vitamin d for vaginal health — Soak up some sunshine for good vaginal health! Image courtesy: Shutterstock

Geetika Sachdev Updated: 10 Feb 2022, 07:51 pm IST

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Vitamin D or the sunshine vitamin is responsible for the optimal functioning of the body. It certainly deserves far more importance than it receives. No kidding, it has some superpowers people! But sometimes, we don’t get enough of it and a vitamin D deficiency can truly wreak havoc on our bodies. Some people believe that getting adequate sunlight every day is enough to meet your vitamin D requirements. But is this true? Well, our expert is to answer this.

Dr P Krishnamoorthi, Senior Consultant and Head, General Medicine, Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Centre, tells HealthShots, “According to research, 70-90 percent of Indians are deficient in vitamin D. It is a unique vitamin that is produced when your skin is exposed to sunshine, and is made up of cholesterol. As a result, getting enough sun is critical for maintaining appropriate vitamin D levels (unless you take supplements). However, too much sun exposure has its own set of health hazards.”

vitamin D deficiency — This sunshine vitamin is necessary. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

When is the best time to get your dose of vitamin D via sunlight?

Between 10 am and 3 pm is the greatest time to acquire the most vitamin D from the sun, says Dr Krishnamoorthi. “The UVB rays are particularly strong at this time, and it is also stated that the body is more efficient in producing vitamin D. This period is also thought to be safer for sun exposure, as it is believed that exposure to the sun later in the day increases the risk of certain types of cancer,” he adds.

Vitamin D is generated in the skin from cholesterol, thus getting enough of this vitamin requires exposing a lot of your skin to sunshine. To get more vitamin D, expose your arms, legs, back, and abdomen. Remember to expose your back, so that your body can produce the most amount of it, and keep you away from a vitamin D deficiency.

Also Read: Do you have a Vitamin D deficiency? Covid-19 can impact you more severely

Are there any foods that can reverse vitamin D deficiency?

“There are only a few foods that contain considerable amounts of vitamin D. Cod liver oil, swordfish, salmon, tinned tuna, cow liver, egg yolks, and sardines are all on the list. To get adequate vitamin D, eat some of these foods on a daily basis. If you don’t get enough vitamin D from your food, it’s a good idea to take vitamin D pills and get some sun to keep your levels in check,” he concludes.