Although the body needs enough vitamin D, the key is to maintain balance and avoid excessive sun exposure.
Mediclinic Chief Medical Officer Dr. Darren Green explains that vitamin D plays a crucial role in maintaining bone health, immune function and muscle activity.
Although the body can produce its own source through food and sun exposure, it must be carefully considered to avoid the risks of skin cancer and other health problems.
If you lead a sedentary lifestyle and/or are overweight, you are at particular risk of vitamin D deficiency.
Green warns against “no sun exposure, not being on our devices, being inactive, and being indoors for much of the day.”
He also added that excessive drinking can contribute to a deficiency because the liver and kidneys regulate vitamin D in the body.
Green recommends 10 to 15 minutes of midday sun exposure to produce enough vitamin D.
“The UVB rays, the angle at which those rays hit the Earth, are important. If you are outside and exposed between about noon and 1:30 p.m., you only need about 10 to 15 minutes of exposure to that sunlight to have adequate vitamin D synthesis,” he concluded.
Vitamin D intake can also be increased with supplements, but your healthcare provider will recommend these.
