How to get vitamin D from sunlight

Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones, and we get most of our vitamin D from exposure to sunlight. Find out
how to get enough without risking sun damage.
Cover up or protect your skin before it starts to turn red or burn
Everyone needs vitamin D to absorb calcium and phosphorus from their diet. These minerals are important for healthy
bones.
A lack of vitamin D known as vitamin D deficiency can cause bones to become soft and weak, which can lead to
bone deformities. In children, for example, a lack of vitamin D can lead to rickets. In adults, it can lead to osteomalacia,
which causes bone pain and tenderness.
How do we get vitamin D
ur body creates most of our vitamin D from direct sunli!ht on our skin. "e also !et vitamin D from some foods
includin! e!!s, meat and oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines.
#itamin D is also added to all infant formula milk, as well as some breakfast cereals, soya products, dairy products,
powdered milks and fat spreads.
How long should we spend in the sun
There isn$t one recommendation for everyone. This is because the amount of time you need to spend in the sun for your
skin to make enou!h vitamin D depends on a number of factors. These include your skin type %how dark your skin is or
how easily you !et sunburnt&, the time of year and what time of day it is.
Vitamin D and you
The amount of time you need to spend in the sun for your skin to make enou!h vitamin D is different for every person
'hort daily periods of sun exposure without sunscreen durin! the summer months %April to ctober& are enou!h for most
people to make enou!h vitamin D. Evidence su!!ests that the most effective time of day for vitamin D production
is between ((am and )pm.
A short period of time in the sun means *ust a few minutes evidence su!!ests that about (+ to (, minutes is enou!h
for most li!hter-skinned people and is less than the time it takes you to start !oin! red or burn.
The lar!er the area of skin that is exposed to sunli!ht, the more chance there is of makin! enou!h vitamin D before you
start to burn.
.eople with darker skin will need to spend lon!er in the sun to produce the same amount of vitamin D.
In the /0, our skin isn$t able to make vitamin D from winter sunli!ht %1ovember to 2arch& as the sunli!ht hasn$t !ot
enou!h /#3 %ultraviolet 3& radiation. Durin! the winter, we !et vitamin D from our body$s stores and from food
sources.
The lon!er you stay in the sun, especially for prolon!ed periods without sun protection, the !reater your risk of skin
cancer. 4emember to cover up or protect your skin before the time it takes you to start turnin! red or burn. 'tay covered
up for most of the time you spend outside and use sunscreen with a sun protection factor %'.5& of at least (,.
4ead more about keepin! skin safe in the sun.
!ho is at risk of vitamin D deficiency
'ome !roups of the population are at risk of vitamin D deficiency, and the Department of 6ealth advises that they take
daily vitamin D supplements. These !roups are7
all pre!nant and breastfeedin! women
all babies and youn! children from six months to five years old %unless they are havin! more than ,++ml a
day of infant formula&
older people, a!ed 8, and over
people who are not exposed to much sun for example, those who cover their skin, or who are
housebound or confined indoors for lon! periods
.eople who have darker skin for example, those of African, African 9aribbean or 'outh Asian ori!in are also at risk of
vitamin D deficiency because it takes their skin more time to produce as much vitamin D as someone with li!hter skin.
It is important that pre!nant and breastfeedin! women take a vitamin D supplement to make sure their own needs for
vitamin D are met, and so that their baby is born with enou!h stores of vitamin D for the first few months of its life.
.re!nant women and children a!ed five or under who :ualify for the 6ealthy 'tart scheme can !et free supplements
containin! vitamin D.
.re!nant women and families with children a!ed under four years old who :ualify for the 6ealthy 'tart scheme can also
!et free supplements containin! vitamin D.
5ind out who should take vitamin D supplements and how much to take.
Can you have too much vitamin D
.eople who take supplements are advised not to take more than ;, micro!rams %<!& of vitamin D a day, as intakes from
supplements above this amount could be harmful, accordin! to the /0 Expert =roup on #itamins and 2inerals.
The amount of vitamin D contained in supplements is sometimes expressed in international units %I/&, where >+ I/
e:uals (<! of vitamin D.
?our body doesn$t make too much vitamin D from sun exposure, but always cover up or protect your skin before the time
it takes you to start turnin! red or burn.
Further information on vitamin D
The Department of 6ealth$s recommendations on takin! vitamin D supplements are based on advice from the 'cientific
Advisory 9ommittee on 1utrition %'A91&. 'A91 produced a report in ;++@ that summarised the scientific evidence on
vitamin D and health. It is now reviewin! the latest evidence on vitamin D and health and will report on this when it is
complete.
"atch an animation on 9ancer 4esearch /0$s 'un'mart website to see how sunburn dama!es your skin.
In ;+(+, seven 3ritish health or!anisations produced a *oint statement of their views on vitamin D. 4ead the *oint
statement on vitamin D.
5ind out more about healthy diet in pre!nancy.