Time for good news if you live near 50° north. Your vitamin D has returned! Now you may be wondering, "what do you mean by that?” Where did it go? Where has it been? Let me explain.
While there are various ways you can get vitamin D, the best way by far is through sun exposure. But, there are many things that can stand in your way trying to get vitamin D from the sun. Very specific conditions must be met. If you don't meet these conditions, no vitamin D for you!
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UVB exposure is what creates Vitamin D. Simple enough. It is also UVB rays that cause tanning and sunburns. But UVB rays only penetrate the atmosphere when the sun is 50° or more above the horizon. So where you are on earth plays a big role in how many possible days of vitamin D exposure you may get. Here are some numbers:
But the above chart is theoretical more than anything. I live at 50° north. I can tell you that the number of days where I can get the required sun exposure is actually much lower. Let's say it's a late April day and it's 15°C/58°F outside, with a hefty wind. You're not going to be walking around outside with half your skin exposed, not even for a few minutes. Cloudy and rainy days limit your Vitamin D exposure even more. And if you work indoors, the number of days might fall by as much as two thirds.
So, how is best to get your required vitamin D from sun exposure? The more of the following steps you follow, the better.
- Start getting your exposure as early in the year as possible. Near the beginning and end dates above, aim to get out as close to solar noon as possible. If there's daylight savings time in your area, solar noon will be around an hour later, around 1 PM. This site will help you find solar noon in your area. https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/
- Aim for maximum skin exposure. 40% is good. 60% or more is better. Exposing your face, hands, and arms is not enough.
- Go outside. While the sun may be shining on you through your office window, you are getting no UVB rays and so no vitamin D.
- Do not wear sunscreen. Most sunscreens will block up to 99% of UVB rays. And use common sense on this one. If your first exposure to the sun is early July, don't stay outside for hours without sunscreen!
- The whole process of creating and absorbing vitamin D takes around 48 hours. Studies show that many soaps will stop the creation process. So you want to avoid using soap on skin that you exposed to the sun. Rinse with water only.
Why have you never heard of most of this? The global skincare market is projected to reach $135 billion in sales by 2021. They have the resources to propagandize you into submission. The sun does not have a lobby. Remember to always be suspicious whenever somebody's profit is involved. And those in the skincare industry have a lot of profit to protect.
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