Sunshine in a Bottle

Vitamin D the sunshine vitamin is notoriously hard to attain in large amounts through diet and with its role in calcium absorption, immunity, blood clotting and prevention of some cancers, we can’t afford to have low levels. Vitamin D has also been linked to severe asthma in children and cardiovascular disease (1).

In Victoria, particularly we are soon coming out of the warmer days of summer and into months of less sun exposure. While the lower UVB levels in the cooler months mean it’s certainly safer to roll those sleeves up without the high risk of sunburn, it also means many of us fail to get adequate sun exposure to maintain healthy vitamin D levels. In fact, if you naturally have darker skin in winter here you require 2-3 hours of midday sun exposure to the face, arms and hands most days of the week, of course if you work indoors or just find this difficult to achieve you will most likely require a supplement (2). If you are pregnant, breastfeeding or over 50 you also most likely require a supplement. How to know for sure? Talk to your GP about a 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25-OHD) blood test to ascertain your levels.

References

1. Osieki, H, The Nutrient Bible, 9th Edition, Bioconcept Publishing, Australia

2.    Better Health Channel, Vitamin D, < https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/vitamin-d>.