Vitamin D in the summer: better bones

Now that summer has arrived, it’s time to take advantage of the free vitamin D that the sun offers. Sun exposure is the ideal way to help us reach the minimum vitamin D level of 32 ng/mL, with an optimum of 50 to 60 ng/mL.

I also encourage you to get outside as much as possible, because we are all part of nature. Being outside can bring our bodies into harmony with the natural world around us. I use this time of year to play golf and tennis, swim in the lake, bike, kayak, hike, grow vegetables, and get outside in any way I can. Even with all the benefits of being outside, I still get a lot of questions about sun exposure, so here are my recommendations, as well as some important information about sunscreen:

Better Bones Guidelines for Sun Exposure (Year-Round!)

• It is best to expose the entire body to the sun for short periods of 15-20 minutes each day (without sunscreen).

• People with very dark skin need 4 to 6 times more sunlight exposure than people with light skin.

• After this initial period, use sunscreen if necessary to prevent burning.

• The usable ultraviolet radiation is strongest between 10am and 2pm.

• In northern or southern latitudes, far from the equator, longer exposure is necessary, especially in spring and autumn.

• In climates at northern or southern latitudes, far from the equator, very little to no vitamin D is produced in the skin during the winter months.

• If your shadow is shorter than you, you can make vitamin D from sunlight. If your shadow is longer than you, you know you are not exposed to that small spectrum of ultraviolet radiation that makes vitamin D.

Protect yourself from both the harmful sun and the wrong sunscreens

Just as important as protecting yourself from the sun is avoiding the potentially harmful effects of sunscreen ingredients that can contribute to your overall toxic load. If you’re going to be wearing sunscreen while spending extended periods of time outdoors, keep these tips in mind to help you decipher product labels:

• Avoid the ingredients vitamin A (retinyl palmitate) and oxybenzone. Safer options are titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. I prefer those with zinc oxide as the active ingredient.

• Use natural and organic beauty and body care products whenever possible. Many of the chemical ingredients in personal care products are not only toxins, but also allergens and skin irritants. Do a little research before choosing a sunscreen, since it is classified as both a cosmetic and a drug.

• “Organic” and “natural” do not always mean “safe.” When in doubt, avoid products with long lists of unpronounceable ingredients to prevent exposure to synthetic toxins and carcinogens.

• Another way to reduce exposure is to avoid any product that lists “fragrance” as an ingredient, or whose label list ends with the words “…and other ingredients.” Sunscreen manufacturers are not required to list ingredients, even those that are carcinogenic or have been granted “trade secret” status by the FDA.

You can learn more about the benefits of vitamin D in my article, “Vitamin D: Its Benefits Are Greater Than Ever Thought.” And keep in mind that you want to have those levels year-round, so I recommend getting a vitamin D test at the end of both summer and winter to check for any variations.