Vitamin D Are you Getting Enough?

Did you know almost every cell in your body requires Vitamin D to function properly?

Americans tend to fall short of their daily requirements. That's why it is added to our milk. How do you know if you are getting enough? Yes, there is a test doctors can use to check levels, however, nature provided a much better solution.

Take a walk every day!



Our best source of Vitamin D is sunshine. Sun exposure for short periods of time or in mild sun has many health benefits. Sunnier areas of the world have a lower rate of certain cancers because cancer cells have more vitamin D receptors and when the D attaches to them, it kills the cancers.

Are you still inside? Here are a few more great motivators to include a 10-30 minute outdoor stroll, gardening or ballgame in your daily routine.

Vitamin D plays a role in the production of insulin (blood sugar regulating hormone, deficient in diabetics).

Without sufficient Vitamin D, a bone disorder, rickets develops.

Vitamin D helps you maintain healthy bone density.

Sun is the only natural vegetarian source of Vitamin D.

Since the liver stores Vitamin D, summer exposure can supply us all year. Darker skin needs more exposure than lighter skin to create Vitamin D.

Read UK Research

Too much sun is dangerous so don’t “worship” the sun, just enjoy its benefits in small amounts!

So, how much is enough?

Get out of the sun before you see a visible change in your skin color. Some people notice a "hot" "tingling" feeling as a "warning" that they've had enough. To be safe. it is suggested you time your exposure. Choose early morning or late afternoon sun, but still be careful! Depending on your natural pigmentation, somewhere between 10-30 minutes, on one area (face, legs, arms or back) 3 times a week is adequate for most individuals. Since weather can be a deterrent, aim for as many days a week as possible. (Remember, Vitamin D stores in your liver for rainy days. Stash some away!)

Let me reiterate, if you are light skinned, you don't need as much sun exposure to get adequate Vitamin D stores in your body. Lighter skinned individuals should limit unprotected exposure to early morning or late afternoon and then only for 10 minutes or so, daily depending on the intensity of the sun.