Vitamin D Society recommends Summer Sun to build up D Levels.

Vitamin D Society recommends Summer Sun to build up D Levels.

By Marc Sorenson, EdD. Sunlight Institute…

Canada has a long season each year in which vitamin D from sunlight is not available. Due to the northern latitude of Canada, May through October is the only period when vitamin D can be produced in response to sun exposure to the skin. Therefore, a new press release from the Vitamin D Society recommends to protect health by building up vitamin D during the summer. Vitamin D from the summer sun helps to prevent serious diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and others.

Dr. Reinhold Vieth, the scientific advisor for the Society, states the following: We often assume that the health benefits of sunshine are solely due to vitamin D, but that is not proven yet.  In other words, it is likely that sunshine does more for our bodies than just produce vitamin D.”

Dr. Vieth is correct. Vitamin D is only one of several products of sun exposure. Others are nitric oxide, which helps prevent vascular problems, and serotonin and endorphins that enhance mood. It is likely that there are many more products of sun exposure that enhance human health.

The Society recommends 6 guidelines for safely enjoying the sun and its health benefits:

  1. Be moderate, and don’t burn.
  2. Sun exposure can produce vitamin D only during the mid-day hours, so be outside between 10 AM and 4 PM.
  3. Know your skin type and risk of burning. Red hair and very light skin predict a greater risk of burning. (Also remember that dark skin needs more sun exposure to produce vitamin D).
  4. A gradual build-up of a tan protects the skin from burning.
  5. When the skin begins to redden, it is time to stop the sun exposure.
  6. Frequent but shorter sun exposure times are better for producing vitamin D.

Since about 35% of all Canadians do not meet suggested vitamin D requirements, sun exposure is essential to reverse that statistic.

So Canadians, safely enjoy the sun this summer!

To read the entire press release, go to this link: http://www.vitamindsociety.org/press_release.php?id=44

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