Sun Safety And Vitamin D
If you’ve been avoiding the sun because you’re afraid of getting skin cancer, you’re actually doing yourself more harm than good. We all need some sun exposure; it's our primary source of vitamin D, which helps us absorb calcium for stronger, healthier bones. Vitamin D is essential for your health and for the proper functioning of your organs and cells. But it doesn't take much time in the sun for most people to get the vitamin D they need, and repeated unprotected exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays can cause skin damage, eye damage, immune system suppression, and skin cancer.
How much sun do we need for healthy bones? The best source of vitamin D is UV-B radiation from the sun. UV radiation levels vary depending on location, time of year, time of day, cloud coverage and the environment. For most people, adequate vitamin D levels are reached through regular daily activity and incidental exposure to the sun. During summer, the majority of people can maintain adequate vitamin D levels from a few minutes of exposure to sunlight on their face, arms and hands or the equivalent area of skin on either side of the peak UV periods (10am to 3pm) on most days of the week.
How much sun do we need for healthy bones? The best source of vitamin D is UV-B radiation from the sun. UV radiation levels vary depending on location, time of year, time of day, cloud coverage and the environment. For most people, adequate vitamin D levels are reached through regular daily activity and incidental exposure to the sun. During summer, the majority of people can maintain adequate vitamin D levels from a few minutes of exposure to sunlight on their face, arms and hands or the equivalent area of skin on either side of the peak UV periods (10am to 3pm) on most days of the week.