Optimizing Vitamin D through Safe Sun Exposure
By following sensible
sun exposure rules, including making sure you do not get burned, you can
maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of skin damage that could lead to
skin cancer. Overexposure, not completely avoiding the sun, is the real issue
for increasing your risk for skin cancer. At the same time, optimizing vitamin D through
regular sun exposure can decrease your risk of many forms of cancers that are
far more common than Melanoma which is the deadliest form of skin cancer.
So how much sun exposure
is enough?
The answer depends on
your skin type, time of year, time of day, and where you are located! The closer you are to the equator the less
time you need in the sun because the sun is stronger and more UVB rays hit your
skin (UVB is the key to Vitamin D).
Depending on your location time of year can be very important. For example in the Northeastern US you
cannot get enough sunlight exposure during winter to max sufficient amounts of
Vitamin D for optimal health (one of the reasons tend to get sick more in the
winter). Time of day is also
important. Ideally mid-day sun provides
the highest level of UVB light BUT you also need much less sun exposure and it
is much easier to burn!
As
mentioned above your skin type is also important! There are technically 5 skin types as it
relates to sun exposure times: Type I - White; very fair; red or blond hair;
blue eyes; freckles Type II – White; fair; red or blond hair; blue, hazel, or
green eyes Type III – Cream white; fair; with any eye or hair color; very
common Type IV – Brown; typical Mediterranean Caucasian skin Type V – Dark
Brown; mid-eastern skin types Type VI – Black
If
you are skin type 1 to III, you will produce vitamin d more quickly than if you
have skin type IV to VI. A simple
rule is to obtain half the sun exposure it takes your skin to turn pink (NOT
BURN). This will tend to optimize
benefits without risks. The more skin
you can expose the better! Once you
have been in the sun this long you should cover up – actually covering up is
ideal versus using sunscreen. So
wearing hat shirt and pants made out of a light but UV blocking material is
ideal if you are going to be outside longer than half the time it would take
for your skin to turn pink.
According
to the national Institutes of Health, between five and 30 minutes of sun exposure to
your unprotected face, arms, legs or back between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3
p.m. two to three times every week is enough for your body to produce all of
the D3 it needs. So for extremely fair people during peak summer or live
close to the equator just 5 minutes of mid-day sun is all it takes, but for a
person with dark skin who lives farther from the equator it is probably more
like 30 minutes. Now the key is NOT to
burn so start with less time and gradually increase it!
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